Fun once you figure it out.
The control scheme needs work. Mouse control is cumbersome, and joystick support is pretty minimal. There's no support for throttle or twist-handle joysticks, though with Logitech's mapping software I was able to get past that. Targeting is flaky: target visible is really the only option that works well, though "target weakest" sometimes helps.
The manual is really more of an extended brochure, giving you an overview of gameplay features but no real idea of how to use them. That would be forgivable if there was a PDF manual on the CD or web site, but there isn't. Analysis of the control scheme gives you some clues as to how things work, but it takes some trial and error to figure things out.
Also, as in most economy driven games, you have to pay for everything - missiles, ship upgrades, etc, so the economy takes some figuring out and can be frustrating until you build up some cash.
The mission system is strange. You have to pay to accept a mission, and you can accept on behalf of any civilization, rather than the more normal "civilization X needs help with this...". Also, they don't tell you which civilization you're attacking, so you can end up attacking your friends and wrecking your diplomacy rating without realizing it.
These flaws notwithstanding, the dogfighting is fun, the universe is dynamic and exciting, and the missions rewarding. If you can survive the trial-and-error learning curve, it turns out to be a fun game.