Elite 25th anniversary

[sanctuary 19]

This month is the 25th anniversary of the original Elite release on Acorn and BBC computers in 1984 by David Braben and Ian Bell.

http://elite.frontier.co.uk/

Elite was the game that had a really huge influence, inspiring more or less every open ended and free form space and sometime trading games up to now.

Elite generated 2 sequels that out of obvious graphic differences used more realistic newtonian physics and calculations for space travel and a way better space simulation (the original Elite was mostly an arcade game with fake planets and systems), Frontier Elite 2 in 1993 and Frontier First Encounter in 1995 that i continue to enjoy from time to time.

Note :

Oolite is a very good modern open source remake of the original Elite, it improves everything from the old Elite in every ways and the community has built many addons to expand it :

http://www.oolite.org/

You can try the incredible russian Direct3D port of Frontier First Encounter by following the instruction from there :

http://forums.bistudio.com/showpost.php?p=1261555&postcount=199

If space and newtonian physics are catching your interest, even if there is no combat why not trying the very serious and awesome freeware simulator Orbiter too , and one of the thousand of addons for it ?

Edited September 21, 2009 by Sanctuary

[-)rStrangelove 0]

Oh yeah, i remember those days. Priceless.

Played on C64 forever and later on the Amiga500 which had greater explosions and colored vector gfx(!). Plain awesome during the 80s.

How to find out if you're ELITE:

- you still remember the cost of a military laser

- you still remember the autodocking key

- you can whizzle the music out of the top of your head for several minutes

- you still get flashbacks everytime you see the windows 'starfield sim' screensaver

:)

[halleyelec 10]

Can you honestly believe that Elite IV is suppose to be being made now?? For PC and consoles? I really really really want to believe that it is being made but don't really....can't believe my eyes!

please please please please!!!!

[von_paulus 0]

Salute all.

I played on C64. I played for months and was never tired.

Tried all the sequels but none achieved the quality of the original.

It is said that the best version was on Archimedes. I'll still want to try it with an emulator.

Oolite is becoming very interesting.

As for the new version I really don't know. That's an old David Braben project. It will be a online mmporg. The curious thing is that when I was introduced to the concept of the Internet I thought instantaneously that would be great to play Elite with other users online. Well let's see if there will be a true successor or not. Unfortunately Ian Bell doesn't work anymore with David since the Frontier incident.

For the UK viewers there is a documentary about Elite:

http://demand.five.tv/Series.aspx?seriesBaseName=BritsWhoMadeTheModernWorld

Thanks Sanctuary for bring this on

[mr_centipede 31]

I thought you guys were referring to OFP:Elite for Xbox and thought "it's 25 years already???"

Guess I was too young eh :D

[Rhodite 3]

I loved the game.

I was fortunate enough to even make the rank "Elite" in the game which took some grinding!!

Thargoids intercepting my shipments of furs brings back a lot of memories!

[von_paulus 0]

I reached the level before "Elite".

Thargoids were mean. But we could score a lot. The space between Systems were filled with them.

[Daddl 10]

I really loved it - the successors (not just for all the bugs they had) never got me glued to my seat nearly as much as Elite did when I played it - first on an Atari 800 XL and later on a 8086 - CGA graphics and everything! It's simply amazing how much game they managed to pack into so little menory...

[sanctuary 19]

Salute all.

It is said that the best version was on Archimedes. I'll still want to try it with an emulator.

Oolite is becoming very interesting.

The main interest of the Archimedes version were : the visual upgrade and the way better AI than other versions in which you were not anymore the only center of interest in the universes, AI pirates attacked AI convoys, AI cops fighting AI pirates, etc... something that never happened in other versions.

But with Oolite in its current version you can easily skip the Archimedes Elite, Oolite is now the best version of Elite available.

Not only it is much more pleasing to the eyes, but it benefits of the same kind of AI that the Archimedes had, you can see battles, patrols without you being always the target.

Additionally, you can fly many ships in Oolite, and you are able to fly them like in Freespace if you want (as in original Elite the left/right were only roll left/roll right) with left being really turn left and right being turn right (but the roll keys are always available too as you need them to match those stations rotation anyways).

Oolite is much more agreeable to fly than the original Elite was.

And importantly Oolite being very open to modding, there are some really interesting OXP (Oolite eXpansion Packs) available to enhance the game in features, equipments, new ships, new factions, visuals and gameplay way beyond what the original Elite offered, you can even find a allowing you to hire wingmen once you reach a good enough rank.

While it is not as fun to me as an Orbiter, Oolite is an interesting game.

[[aps]gnat 28]

Wow! What a spin-out. Where has 25 years gone!

Yep, played on the C64 and Amiga500 as well. "Wasted" hours/days/weeks!

I still remember the (one and only?) cheat you could type it!

Love the video by Braben, puts the game in some perspective.

I must check out the wanna-be's :D

Thx Sanctuary!

[-)rStrangelove 0]

Omg, i just noticed somebody made STARWARS ships for OOLITE !!!

I could make a soundpack for those! Gonna DL

[colligpip 0]

I really really wish they could merge elite with orbiter - I really do. I know there have been some attempts at it but i just want elite with orbiters physics come on somebody do it.

[sanctuary 19]

That's my dreamgame too, the whole Elite concept but with the Orbiter engine, its physics, features and as open to modding as it, i doubt anyone would see me out of my home after that ;)

[colligpip 0]

yeah same here. There is a trading mfd and a orbiter weapons project but as far as I can tell it's not very advanced yet. have you tried freelancer with the discovery mod its quite good very similar to elite. No good physics tho but there are 200 players servers up.