It's moments like that that really make you sit back and appreciate the effort that has gone into making this game. It's also at this moment that you realise the answer to the question: what sets Earth and Beyond apart from the rest of the MMORPG crowd? The fact that you're playing not just in a world, but in a universe. Westwood have successfully managed to create a believable universe.

Asteroid fields span incredible distances. Planets like Jupiter and Odin Rex are massive in size. Saturn's rings are impressive in their scale and detail. Gravity wells, both naturally and unnaturally occurring can drop a player out of warp. Planets on which you can land vary wildly, from the lava spewing antics of Endriago (in the Gallina System) to the tranquil yet dangerous lakes of Zweihander (in Alpha Centauri). All of this helps to make the universe come to life.

But that's just the beginning of the players appreciation for the time and effort being put into E&B. Westwood are continually working on the game, releasing monthly patches to resolve any issues that might be outstanding as well as adding in fun community events (such as the Celestial Circuit from Novembers patch and the Elfman triplets and Santa for the December patch). Events like this are set to take place every so often to add to the enjoyment of what is already a great game. It's also through these monthly patches that the evolving storyline of E&B will be updated. Currently the story goes like this: Both the Progen and the Jenquai have managed (through different means) to open tears in space to an unknown region. An alien race has come through these tears. Currently the aliens are not hostile, but they do fly in groups and communicate in an unknown language (although it can be deciphered by the player with some thought, or by looking in the forums).

So if these "Unknown" aliens aren't really a threat to a pilots life, what exactly can a budding young space-farer do to gain some of that all precious experience? Well, the options are many and varied indeed. E&B breaks the players experience into 3 categories: Trade, Combat and Exploration. Trade experience can be earnt by selling items looted from "Mobs" (enemies), as well as by completing trade runs from certain stations for Monty's Discount Trading Goods. Trade experience can also be garnered by completing missions, either those provided by an NPC or missions accepted at Job Terminals. These terminals are located at most stations and contain jobs for all three of the experience types. In the case of a trade mission from a terminal the player might be asked to travel to a station in a different sector and pick up some medical supplies to deliver to another station that is in need of them. Combat missions from terminals tend to follow the "go to this nav point and defend it from Mob and allies then return to station X for reward." Exploration missions can involve the deployment of satellites to the dumping of refuse.

From these three separate levels the players overall level is totalled. As a player gains levels the option to get hull upgrades becomes available. Hull upgrades can be gotten at certain levels in the game, the first hull upgrade is received at the completion of basic training for the particular class with the second being available at level 30. There are six hull upgrades in total. As the players ship progresses thru this upgrade cycle the hull will grow to incorporate extra weapon and device slots. Progen Warriors are able to carry the most weapons after their final hull upgrade with a total of six weapons but with few device slots. Jenquai Explorers on the other hand are the opposite, more device slots than weapon slots. Also available as the player "level's up" are new class skills and tech skills, and it's here that the differences in play style between both the races and the classes comes into play.