Availability of Software

Hello,
     I've come to notice that some software, ports and packages alike, doesn't 
seem to compile successfully on the VAX.  Emacs, for instance, and one of my favorite diversions--Nethack, of all things, both from Ports don't seem to compile.  Is this due to the fact that VAX still uses a.out as an executable format?
I don't claim to know much about Elf verses A.out, but suspect that it might have something to do with that.
I'd appreciate some enlightenment on this, as well as what can be done about more mainstream software, like the Java Development Kit, for instance.  Are those simply unavailable on OpenBSD Vax?
Yours,
Zack.