Back in the days I used signup for beta tests left and right. I was fortunate enough to be a beta tester for games such as Homeworld and Asheron’s Call 2. Being in a beta is an exciting and frustrating thing. Exciting because you get to learn all the new stuff before anyone else. Frustrating because a lot of that stuff doesn’t work :-). In any case a new online game, Andromedia Online, has opened their beta testing to the public and they have clients for Windows, Linux, and Mac.
Rich in every sense of the word, Andromeda is abundant with life, energy, and fuel. In its history, thousands of races, empires, corporations, and mercenaries squads have fought over it. Though victory has been achieved many times by many different empires, success is measured not by the complete capture of the planet, but who can hold it the longest and do the most damage to their enemies.
Those of us that are old enough to remember the days before 3D will appreciate the no-nonsense way of playing this game. Although a bit overwhelming at first, the core of this game is strategy, something most games lack nowadays. You can play against AI’s, other people, on teams or alone. The pay account lets your crews gain experience and you can custom build your fleets. A little bit of thought goes a long way.