A few months ago, one of our esteemed writers posted a comparison of Vendetta Online and Eve Online, two space-based MMORPGs. A lot of our readers were of the opinion that these two games should not be compared side by side because they were so different, though I don’t entirely agree. There are also those who think that we were a bit biased towards Eve Online, though I can assure you that’s (probably) not the case. I’m here, however, to post a rebuttal and tell my side of the story regarding these two excellent games. Let’s start by talking about the controls.
Controls
In EVE Online camera controls are essentially the same as any other MMO, which is to say you hold right click to look around, and you can even rotate your view around your ship. The biggest difference is the way in which you move your ship, which to be honest, isn’t that much different than in other MMOs. You simply double click a location in space and your ship will go there. The other way to move, of course, is by checking your scanner and warping to a destination.
Vendetta Online plays more like Freespace or Starlancer. You increase the throttle to move forward, and there is far more freedom of movement. In combat, this increases the possibilities and gives you the ability to use a joystick if you would like.
Interface
They say that Eve Online is more like a spreadsheet than a game, and I can’t really disagree; there’s a lot of reading but that doesn’t really have to be a bad thing, does it? We all like to read, after all. In my opinion, EVE Online is a complex game that requires your full concentration, so having all of those options isn’t really a big deal. Actually, not having them would make the game less exciting. I’ve found that having so many customization options and ways to play makes it more possible to design a character that is truly unique.
Okay, here Vendetta is going to lose some points from me because the interface is more than just lacking; it’s practically bare. The most basic functions are there, but I find that a lot of the commands must be issued through the console, which also serves at the chat room. Sometimes the whole thing feels a bit convoluted, but who are we to judge.
Graphics
When you compare the two games side by side, Eve Online is the obvious victor here. The game is quite old, but the graphics have been updated to the point that it looks as if it was made just a few short years ago. Vendetta Online, on the other hand, looks comparable to X: Beyond the Frontier. Based on this comparison, there are many who would say that Eve Online wins this competition hands down, but let’s not jump the gun here. Yes, Vendetta’s graphics leave something to be desire…or do they? What many people fail to consider is that perhaps, just perhaps, the condition of the graphics in Vendetta is by design.
Some might chalk it up to the fact that there are only four people running the show at Guild Software and maybe their graphics designer isn’t quite up to snuff. What if, however, they left the graphics alone for all these years so that the game would run on virtually any device? If so, well played Guild Software; I’ve played this game on my Dell Mini 10, my high end desktop, laptop, tablet, phone, and a potato I found in my kitchen earlier. To make it even better, the graphics don’t even look that much different between computers and devices. There are very few MMO’s that can pull that off, especially among those that are still being updated. So, if you want an MMO that you can play anywhere, this is your ticket.
Chat System
There is nothing more important in an MMORPG than communication, which is something that Asheron’s Call 2 actually managed to forget. It’s no secret that EVE Online has far more communication options for players. For example, there exists the ability to create custom channels, tabs, and even charge other pilots for the privilege of communicating with you. The chat system actually works more like a communication system, and here, EVE Online actually takes the cake, eats it, regurgitates it, and beats Vendetta to death.
In Vendetta everything takes place in a single chat window whether it’s corp chat, private, public, or faction. It’s not a bad thing and, actually, Vendetta has an ace up its sleeve that EVE Online may not have seen coming. Because Vendetta’s chat system is based on the IRC protocol, they found it useful to allow players to log into the IRC server via third part clients such as mIRC and XCHAT. If you’re at work, school, or simply don’t have any time remaining on your subscription, you can log in and take part in the chat. Seriously, that’s cool.
Player Base
EVE Online is the most populated MMORPGs in the world. These numbers cannot be disputed, and it is such because the game allows you to do whatever you want. Unlike other MMO’s, EVE does not bind you to a specific path. If you want to go through the tutorials, you have that option. If you want to set out immediately and fight pirates, why not? If you want to fly halfway across the galaxy and become lost in a foreign sector, you can do that as well.
The problem with being the most populated MMORPG in the world is that it will undoubtedly bring in a fair share of assholes, but is that a bad thing? Considering the type of game it is, it should be no surprise to run into a varied group of individuals, most of which want your head on a silver platter simply because you exist.
The players in Vendetta Online are much the same, though there are fewer and the threats get far more sophisticated. For example, I found myself often threatened by a player run mafia that would demand I stop and give them money while I was making cargo run. Now that’s dedication.
Cost
Between the two games, I would have to say that Vendetta Online is going to win the gold simply because of the $9.99 price tag and the package deals that it offers. One could say that that the lower price tag is a direct result of lower quality, but I think they just know how to attract customers.
So which one of these games is better? The previous article came to the conclusion that Eve Online was the better game for those looking for a space MMORPG but I’m going to go ahead and take the unpopular route by declaring my own winner: Neither.
That’s right. I’m of the opinion that neither game can reasonably be declared the victor and let me tell you why. These are two very different games. They are both well polished, and they both have something to offer those who choose to step into their worlds. Vendetta Online doesn’t have the station walking feature, and I kind of wish they would add something like it. In addition to that, it doesn’t have any planet interaction. In fact, planets are really just a backdrop rather than celestial bodies floating in space. Of course, maybe this is why the game is so lightweight when it comes to hard drive space.
The last thing I will mention is compatibility. EVE Online is supported by the two major operating systems: Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. This is great, but consider that Vendetta Online can run on Windows, Linux, Mac OS, and Android. This list is also inclusive of the Kindle Fire, which can run Vendetta Online perfectly. It’s entirely possible that the game is a little behind EVE Online simply because they have been porting it to every operating system under the sun. Whatever it is that Vendetta is doing, it’s certainly working for them, because they still have plenty of subscribers all of these years later.
Really what we have here is a tale of two very similar MMORPG’s that started out around the same time. One of these completely thrived and the other lagged behind. Still, there is a lot to gain from playing both games and when it comes right down to it, we can’t tell you which of these titles you should try. Each has a free trial, so why not give both of them a shot? The Vendetta trial is arguably shorter than EVE Online's, and it doesn’t have PLEX, but a $10 investment isn’t a bad thing when you’re trying out the game.
Who knows where your adventures will take you when you travel into the black. It could be a massive space station, an ion storm, or maybe null sec space where there are a bunch of pirates waiting to kill you and steal $1500 worth of PLEX from your cargo hold. Space awaits!
