26CAB40  Ok, fundamental problems with this game.

First, the good thing.

The fast-action twitch aspect works well for combat, the control system is well implemented.

However, in the long term the ONLY way to upgrade your ship and status is a system so poor it beggers belief.

Shoot drones.

In fact, shoot countless thousands of drones over many many months.

Until you have done this, the established unemployed obsessives hang around warp points, blowing you up and making you backtrack huge distances and loose the XP you have built up.

It is not policed to stop this.

There is no in-game mechanism to prevent it or protect you.

Other, older games, had missions that added GREATLY to your XP, and for good reason, if you can assasinate some military big-noise, you deserve the XP.

Not in Vendetta.

In other, older games, if you mine like crazy for 2 months, you make so much money you can buy a cap-ship, or any fast capable fighter with oodles of deadly weapons.

Just like the real world, if you have enough money, you can buy what you like.

Not in Vendetta.

Essentially, you have to spend all day, every day for the next six months making endless trips to asteroid fields to shoot varying classes of droid.

Here's the joke, once you HAVE done this, there is nowhere or nothing to do, you end up sitting outside jump points making stupid yarrr comments and shooting noobs.

I tried this game with a grim determination for 6 months.

Futile, pointless and soul destroying.

At least other, more popular, online space sims have greater depth and give a noob a chance.

If you have a life, it's not for you.

Until the devs wake up and change the FUNDAMENTAL structure of the game it will remain an also-ran in the online pantheon.  
(Version 1.8.79)

YOSHINATSU  Duh... Apocrypha was just released, who's gonna give money for THIS? :/  
(Version 1.8.62)

XOLODNIK  I've been playing Vendetta Online for about half a year now and plan to continue to subscribe for the foreseeable future. While not perfect with some key features still in development, I find VO captures the essence of space combat very well - even when using my joystick and after from many years of playing flight sims, VO transcends the "planes in space" feeling with which most other games in the space combat genre leave me; VO has done this by finding a good balance twixt realism and gameplay with their oddly tweaked 3-D physics model.

Other pluses to the game are: The client is native has been very stable for me even though I don't have the most up to date Mac. The network performance is rock solid making the PvP fun and satisfying. The community is generally supportive and is directly engaged in making VO a better game with publicly available customizations via skins, plugins, and even missions. Built-in voice chat via TeamSpeak, too.

Comparisons to the Escape Velocity series are valid as are those to earlier games in the genre like Elite and Freelancer with the caveat that VO is primarily a multi-player FPS in space with RPG trappings. However, future plans indicate that VO is evolving toward a more complex and dynamic economy which will provide for a richer and more interesting backdrop to the PvP action with more traditional RPG elements like trading, crafting, and mining getting more attention. (As for EvE, I find that the differences in gameplay completely outweigh the similarities which are, after all, common to most games in the same genre.)

Overall, a fun game if you're looking for a space-based MMO with solid PvP.   
(Version 1.8.57)

YOSHINATSU  Uhhh.... Anyone notice a LITTLE similarity with EVE Online?

I mean... ANYONE???  
(Version 1.8.56)

CYBORG9  V.O. 1.8.52 crashes instantly upon launch attempt, here. Anyone else?

OS10.5.4  
(Version 1.8.52)

CALDER  Amazing game, great userbase, awesome devs, but as I know people don't pay for the company, I'll elaborate on the game. It is the intense twitch-based combat that keeps me so hopelessly addicted to VO. The adrenaline, skill, and fun are unparalleled in any other game I've played. From duels and single combat to epic, large-scale engagements, the combat system is beautiful in its simplicity, (real physics and simple projectile motion apply to most aspects), yet endlessly exciting in its intricacies. I will let other players elaborate on other aspects of the game, or you can try the free, no-strings-attached 8-hour GAME-PLAY, not real-time, trial of the game. Also, the developers are extremely committed, resulting in one of the most stable and responsive games around. They are constantly adding to it, and often take player-suggestions into account in deciding their long-term agenda for the game. In fact, players may even join the PCC, (Player Contribution Corps), and create missions and other content for the game.  
(Version 1.8.51)

ERIKHAGSTROM  If you're feeling interested, try it and see how you like it. I did and got hooked. Great atmosphere, tight and friendly community, extensive player/developer interaction and constant updates makes for an impressive game.  
(Version 1.8.41)

RANDY12345  While I really like and enjoy this type of "space" game. Sometimes I just want to have a game to fly around and shoot down other spaceships. Not having to deal with all the politics of joining a group, clan, race, etc. is all I want to do sometimes. And buy improvements/enhancements for my ship...

Is there any type of "space" flying game like this anymore? Anything that will run on a 24" aluminum Imac?

Thanks!   
(Version 1.8.14)

ELIJAHG0  Not quite sure if I'm missing something here, but I found it the most boring game I have ever played... And I play WoW 8 hours a day or more.  
(Version 1.8.10)

PIETRO CRISTOFOLI  4 people develop and run this game.

Guild developers are not yet prepared for a proper launch, they are waiting for a more complete build.

But their MMOFPS has absolutely no rough edges. The engine is rock solid, it runs on multiple platforms (the Mac version supports OpenGL multi-threading on multi-core CPUs and the framerate is incredibly steady on all OSes).

Marvellous community. Give it a try.  
(Version 1.7.47)

BLACKOMEGA  I've always been a 'space' game fan from Elite on the BBC B to Frontier and Terminus on the Mac but untill now there hasnt been a multi player version.

This IS it. Elite for the 21st century not just mindless NPC's to fight against but other real live people. Constantly being updated with new ships, missions and just well... tons of stuff.

3 main races to choose from but dozens of factions and guilds to get involved with. Be a pirate, trader, hero or whatever you feel its a totally free universe.

Free for first 8 hours too see if you like it then for $10 a month it cant be beaten.

Link seems a little slow better to d/l from the site at

http://www.vendetta-online.com.  
(Version 1.7.42)

PLASTERPYRUS  Gotta join their club or something if you want to try out their game. I hate having to jump of hoops for something that really benifits them, like trying to sell me THEIR GAME!  
(Version 1.7.41)

BEBDABHRHBRWEFG 3R§5Y5H4WTEDSFB  as dull as escape velocity and much more expensive  
(Version 1.7.28)

PPS_FRAE@HOTMAIL.COM  I downloaded the game which looked like the best game ever in this site, but right when i click install the program opens and then quits unexpectedly, why why why? after the long time downloading it, and not being able to play...:[  
(Version 1.7.8)

ALREADYTAKEN  I've tried Vendetta a few times, it is a great game and deserves most of the praise it's getting here. But it still needs more content and variety to keep me coming back. The P2P dogfighting is fun but not worth $10 month. Which leads me to another gripe. With games like this one I'll often dip into them for a while, then go away then come back, it's about time developers developed another payment method! How about paying for time actually used instead of per month. Then you might see many many more people like myself who don't want to commit to paying a monthly fee but who're prepared to pay to play.  
(Version 1.7.8)

PHASERLIGHT  I've been playing this game for over three years now since its early alpha stages and watched it grow and change in many different ways. This literally is the one game that keeps me coming back for more... the twitch PvP combat is insanely addictive and the network code is amazingly stable; I've taken part in massive fighter battles between huge opposing cap ships with 30+ players and no noticeable slowdown or dropped packets.

The userbase is currently very small compared to most MMOs, and content is severely lacking, however I would not be surprised to watch this game blow up within the year. The four developers are a committed, independent team that are heavily involved with the community (it's not uncommon for a player to make a suggestion and then have it show up in game a few weeks later, or if not for a dev to explain why it's not feasible) and there are some truly exciting changes slated for the coming weeks.

The small playerbase also makes it easier to carve out a name for yourself as the best figher pilot, tactician, or entrepreneur. Guilds are very active both in game and on the RP boards, forming alliances, going to war, through internal coups or personal vendettas...

Definitely check this game out... it's like a hybrid of Escape Velocity and Wing Commander in a persistent multiplayer universe.  
(Version 1.5.9)

HEYMINI  I've always been a 'space' game fan from Elite on the BBC B to Frontier and Terminus on the Mac but untill now there hasnt been a multi player version.

This IS it. Elite for the 21st century not just mindless NPC's to fight against but other real live people. Constantly being updated with new ships, missions and just well... tons of stuff.

3 main races to choose from but dozens of factions and guilds to get involved with. Be a pirate, trader, hero or whatever you feel its a totally free universe.

Free for first 8 hours too see if you like it then for $10 a month it cant be beaten.

Link seems a little slow better to d/l from the site at

http://www.vendetta-online.com  
(Version 1.5.9)

FORRESTMC4  VO is growing game from great independent developers that actively work to bring new content on a regular basis. They actually listen to the players, are in-game regularly, and often use player response to fine-tune the game. Player base is not like what you find in other MMOs; everyone is helpful, mature (for the most part), and fun to fly around with. Everyone from a serious RPer to a trigger-happy nOOb can enjoy this game. Also cheaper than many other MMOs with flexible payment options including pay-by-cash and discounted rates for longer subscription periods.

Be a part of the growing VO community. Try the free 8-hour gametime demo today and subscribe tomorrow! www.vendetta-online.com

Also, the DL page on macupdate says the game is for PowerPC processors, but it was updated to Universal a few weeks ago. Put that new Intel Mac to good use!

I can be found in-game as UIT citizen "Forrest" don't hesitate to ask me for help.  
(Version 1.5.9)

BART  This is way too big to download, were can I buy this?  
(Version 1.2.3.5)

ALLAN VS. PREDICTOR  PoC!!

Too difficult to get into. You only have 8 hours to practice, then you have to pay. Now the game steals so much of your time, because everything takes forever to do in this game. Solution: Get Escape Velocity instead!! =)  
(Version 1.2.3.5)

AARONFABY  Awesome game! Friendly player community. A fair amount of content. Much fun.  
(Version 1.1.8.2)

ANONYMOUS  Finally, an MMO that is fun, enjoyable (your comments actually have a reason behind them), and time fulfilling.   
(Version 1.1.8.2)

ANONYMOUS  totaly fun, you must try it today  
(Version 1.1.8.2)

APEX AZIMUTH  Absolutely awesome.

EV fans, this is what you've been waiting for!  
(Version 1.1.8.2)

SUN TZU  First, let me tell you that this game is what I dreamed of when I was 10-year old. Climbing into the cockpit of a space fighter to defend the universe, fly with other pilots, racing among the stars dodging missiles and laser beams :) Wow, this is just what Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica triggered in my school-boy imagination.

Trying to be more objective, I have played Vendetta for three months now.

Stability and playability are quite impressive: there are occasional crashes and bugs but they are fixed in no time by the developers; as for playability, it is excellent even with a mouse and keyboard (no need to have a joystick!).

Graphics and sounds are fine, but I must say that they are not near Homeworld 2 or several other graphically elaborate games. I guess there must be a compromise between playability and fancy stuffs. The choice they made is right imho: the best part of the game is in being able to play multi-players and -NPCs battles even without having a super computer, not in sightseeing.

The content of the game is the most complex issue. If you don't get involved into the player vs player activities, you may find the environment lacks content: among other things, the development of your character is only remotely linked with the backstory. However if you participate in player vs player aspects, VO can be a very entertaining game. Sometimes you're just having FUN! You may also have some moments of bitter disappointment, but this is just the same with any human competitions, isn't it? So let's say that the game offers much more for PvP than PvE.  
(Version 1.1.8.2)

ANONYMOUS  Two words, Absolutely Awesome.  
(Version 1.1.8.2)

OVERDORK  This is online space based game that has plenty to offer for everyone.

If you are into role-playing or participating in the on going war between 2 of the 3 nations with a barrage of various ships and weaponry, this game is for you.

You can also be a pirate, trader, miner, pvp killer, or just explore the vast and beautiful universe.

The developers are constantly updating the game with features and content to keep it interesting.

Its multi-platform and there are plenty of interesting people from all of the world playing this addictive game.  
(Version 1.1.8.2)

BLACK OMEGA  I've always been a 'space' game fan from Elite on the BBC B to Frontier and Terminus on the Mac but untill now there hasnt been a multi player version.

This IS it. Elite for the 21st century not just mindless NPC's to fight against but other real live people.

3 main races to choose from but dozens of factions and guilds to get involved with. Be a pirate, trader, hero or whatever you feel its a totally free universe.

For $10 a month it cant be beaten.  
(Version 1.1.8.2)

DAVE  let me also quickly add, in response to josei's post, that yes there are 3 possible governments you can arbitrarily align yourself with, but they are EXACTLY the same. Another testament to the lack of depth this game has to offer.  
(Version 1.1.7)

DAVE  fun and addictive for a while, but it doesn't take long to realize the lack of depth in this game, and that it is far from complete. The developers are doing updates, but are avoiding focusing on storyline development.

If you buy 1 month, you'll probably enjoy it for a week or so, then stop playing it. If you fall into the 3 month trap, you'll be sorry.  
(Version 1.1.7)

JOSEI WHITE  Vendetta Online is a great and addicting game. The Developers are constantly updating Vendetta about once every 2 weeks and the game will update itself. There are various types of ships you can buy, from a shuttle to Valkryies and Mauraders. You can be part of 1 of 3 nations, each with its bad and goods, depending what you like to do. You can also be a Trader, Pirate, Miner, or a Good Citizen that helps and teachs others, its your life, you can choose. Now its not exactly $10 a month, it depends on what plan you choose. $10 for 1 month, $27 for 3 months, $49 for 6 months, $90 for 12 months, $160 for 24 months. If I were you I would go with the three month plan, you'll get a better value, plus it will give you a chance to learn and explore the game. If you like the game you can continue your subscription.  
(Version 1.1.6.2)

ANONYMOUS  a good game with good graphics, but there are better things to spend $10 a month on.  
(Version 1.1.6.1)

ANONYMOUS  I played this during the beta and it was really fun. Can't say I 'interacted' much with other players online - I just ran around shooting rocks and NPC ships. Still, great fun and I'll probably buy it at some point.

Not rating becase I haven't played the final version.  
(Version 1.1.5)

BUBBA  I am certainly no game geek, but this one has me gaming online and loving every minute. Superb on OS X and even works with 10.4. Outstanding graphics and game play.  
(Version 1.1.5)

ANDREW WEBB  I've been interested in playing an online game and this one is awesome. Beautiful graphics, excellent game play. What more can you want. It runs perfectly on my 867Mhz G4 PowerBook 12"  
(Version 1.1.2)

ANCIENTYGER  Real requirements:

MacOS X 10.2.8 or better (10.3.5 recommended)

1ghz G3/G4

384MB of RAM

3D Hardware Accelerator - Fully OpenGL compatible 32MB videocard with Hardware Transformation & Lighting (T&L).

Keyboard/Mouse and CDROM

200MB of harddrive space

56k internet connectivity

I'll review this when i get a G5(imac/mini-tower...laptop ;-) ) or.. get a laptop.  
(Version 1.1.2)