I scan the faces and quickly spot the new one: John Bergman, managing director for Guild Software. I sit down at his table and have one of whatever’s sitting in front of him. This is my chance to learn more about the development of this enormous universe we’ve all been exploring and figure out how he plans to tackle the world of Massively Multi-player Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs).

A Different Kind of MMORPG

“Vendetta Online is intended to appeal to the people who loved the classic space combat games of the past,” Bergman says. “We think this group of gamers has been left largely unfulfilled by the few online offerings in the past. Most didn’t even support real-time combat, without which the genre becomes somewhat colorless.”

You’re Cleared For Docking. Space stations like this one offer refuge when you need it.

The damage my ship has sustained during recent adventures certainly attests to the amount of color found in Vendetta’s real-time combat. With three factions to choose from, there are plenty of opportunities for altercations with opposing players, and even within friendly sectors you can find different types of armed bots — as well as unarmed bots for newbie target practice — to scrap with.

“Vendetta Online is intended to appeal to the people who loved the classic space combat games of the past. We think this group of gamers has been left largely unfulfilled by the few online offerings in the past. Most didn’t even support real-time combat, without which the genre becomes somewhat colorless.”

- John Bergman, managing director, Guild Software

I briefly listen to a nearby table break into stories of corporate spying, cargo runs and run-ins with deadly ships before continuing the conversation. The tales show the wide variety of experiences available in Vendetta Online, and I ask Bergman about that.

“We plan to introduce a lot of unusual progression directions,” he explains. “For instance, having the option to join an elite fighter wing, gain rank through a military track and command other players in a large-scale mission.

Stay On Target. Get those twitch skills ready because you’ll need them.

“Or if a player is a major pirate or dastardly player-killer, that could trigger the availability of a special assassination mission. If a character was only interested in peaceful trading, special equipment and trade missions might be offered to them.”

Right Place, Right Time

The missions tie into the history of the Vendetta universe in some way (see “The Universe According to Bergman” for more about the backstory), and Bergman admits that “our intention has always been to continue with this story. The idea is to design multiple possible plotlines and then introduce a special-case mission with two potential outcomes and see which one is chosen most often.

“This also opens up the possibility of integrating the accomplishments of specific characters into the overall history, simply because they happened to be the ones there at the right time to trigger the event.”

As in most MMORPGs, computer-controlled non-player characters (NPCs) fill roles in many missions. “Some of them offer a target for players who are looking to learn about combat and others have strictly a passive role as traders and merchants, prey for pirates or a defensive goal for someone taking an escort mission. Others can be actual pirates, or nation defense ships, patrolling borders and keeping the peace in populous areas.”

Flying Rings Around the Competition. Your missions involve tasks of all sorts, from benign to malevolent.

Where Everyone Knows Your Name

Space stations like the one we’re sitting in provide protective “no-fire” zones for newbies venturing into open space for the first time; anyone who violates the rules gets blasted into atoms by the station’s defenses. Some MMORPGs can be intimidating to newcomers because they know very powerful characters are probably lurking somewhere, waiting to take advantage of them, but Bergman says Vendetta isn’t like that.

“It’s entirely possible for a talented newbie to take out a veteran pilot,” he notes. “There are no absolutes in our game. That said, newbies should be able to improve their characters to a reasonable point in comparative safety. The system was also designed to make it possible for someone relatively new to be able to group with high-level power gamers and have a good time, contributing to the group.”

You Are Here. The universe is a big place, but don’t worry — you’ll see most of it.

“The idea is to design multiple possible plotlines and then introduce a special-case mission with two potential outcomes and see which one is chosen most often. This also opens up the possibility of integrating the accomplishments of specific characters into the overall history, simply because they happened to be the ones there at the right time to trigger the event.”

- John Bergman

Bergman polishes off what’s in his glass and stands up. He surveys the bustling crowd before making one last comment. “We don’t need hundreds of thousands of subscribers to sustain ourselves,” he says. “We have modest expectations for the sales of the game. We’d like to get an enthusiastic user base and be able to continue working on Vendetta, evolving things with user input and our own design direction.”

Judging by the scene I’m witnessing, it sounds like his team is on track.

If you liked this game, check out:

• Homeworld 2
• Master of Orion III