The full version WILL be free.

I messed with the video settings a bit, but couldn't make it work in anything but 1024X768. I have 256 MB AGP card and a gig of RAM so the graphics weren't a problem. In fact it was all smooth and I never noticed a hiccup.

The lack of 'coasting' bothers me in DFS. I was excited to see that in BTRL, but was dissappointed that you have to push a button to enable coasting. It feels wrong, it should just be what happens when you change vectors regardless of what direction you point the viper. I'm going to have to play with it some more to figure out how to fly with it.

There is a multiplayer online space sim game that feels right to me. Its called alliance, and was originally created by Microsoft. its free, but has no playable story, just a massive multiplayer shootout. I got tired of it, because it can take a half hour of bsing before you get dropped into battle. But the flight model felt perfect for a Space sim.

Maybe with practice I can get the coasting to allow me to flip the viper around and shoot in any direction while still traveling in the initial direction.

One of the most breathtaking things about the graphics were the planets. It was just gorgeous. I wanted to try and fly into the atmosphere, but somehow I think it wouldn't work. I'm not sure they are actually modeled.

By the way there is another BSG Mod I have my eye on. Its based on Home World 2. I don't own HW2 and the mod isn't stand alone like BTRL is. Amazon has HW2 for $11 which I will probably buy in the next couple of weeks once my schedule gets a little less busy. It seems every time I get some time to get back into my hobbies, somebody calls and wants to hire me to do some side drafting or design. Can't complain about that though, since the extra money is good and supports my hobbies and then some (read wife's hobby/business of scrapbooking).

Check out the HW2 mod here: http://battlestarmod.com/ Its available for free download now, so if you already own HW2 than there's nothing stopping you.

-Steve G.