Discussion
OK, as it's clearly a game with some heritage and nostalgia value...
I bought it 3 times.
BBC tape (complete with The Dark Wheel), BBC disk (in the Superior Software incarnation, after they'd bought Acornsoft) and Archimedes.
Achieved Elite in all but the first, and had the DoggySoft elite extras thing for the Arc version (main benefit: furry dice).
No computer game I've ever played has drawn me in like Elite did.
However, I've played other versions - notably the Amiga and PC - and they lack a certain je ne sais quoi.
I bought it 3 times.
BBC tape (complete with The Dark Wheel), BBC disk (in the Superior Software incarnation, after they'd bought Acornsoft) and Archimedes.
Achieved Elite in all but the first, and had the DoggySoft elite extras thing for the Arc version (main benefit: furry dice).
No computer game I've ever played has drawn me in like Elite did.
However, I've played other versions - notably the Amiga and PC - and they lack a certain je ne sais quoi.
medicineman said:
Mercenary?
Now that was a proper hardcore gamer's game. I played it briefly on a friend's Atari 800XL, and never really got to grips with it. However, said friend dedicated a non-trivial amount of his early teens to it.
(For those people who haven't a clue what we're on about, click here)
Mmmm...
First discovered it on the BBC at school in 84/85, and obtained a copy for the family Electron
Was crap and didn't have the patience to do anything other than shooting vipers from the space station 
Got the Spectrum version a while later, but while it was a lot easier I never really got into it.
I did get into the ST version in the early 90s though, good conversion although far too easy and arcadey. I think I got to Elite but can't really remember now.
Then got the Archimedes version in 92 or so when it came out and spent many, many hours on it. Think I got to Dangerous or Deadly and realised I was going to have to make so many more kills to get to Elite and get the missions and gradually lost interest.
Good game though - really seemed like there were huge interactive galaxies out there in only 32k of memory
First discovered it on the BBC at school in 84/85, and obtained a copy for the family Electron
Was crap and didn't have the patience to do anything other than shooting vipers from the space station Got the Spectrum version a while later, but while it was a lot easier I never really got into it.
I did get into the ST version in the early 90s though, good conversion although far too easy and arcadey. I think I got to Elite but can't really remember now.
Then got the Archimedes version in 92 or so when it came out and spent many, many hours on it. Think I got to Dangerous or Deadly and realised I was going to have to make so many more kills to get to Elite and get the missions and gradually lost interest.
Good game though - really seemed like there were huge interactive galaxies out there in only 32k of memory
3 ways to complete Mercenary.
1) find rocket and bugger off.
2) Destroy all of one sides buildings and other side gave you said rocket.
3) Never found out but apparently there was athird way.
Used to enjoy doing 2 in fast land based craft thing, perhaps this what made me a petrol head?
1) find rocket and bugger off.
2) Destroy all of one sides buildings and other side gave you said rocket.
3) Never found out but apparently there was athird way.
Used to enjoy doing 2 in fast land based craft thing, perhaps this what made me a petrol head?
Elite, and later Frontier wasn't a game but a Way Of Life for me! 
The BBC Master series version had a ship called the "Cougar" which you came across very occassionally. It had super strong shields and when you destroyed it, the cargo canister which you scooped up was a "cloaking" or "masking" device!
The later Frontier series of games were closer to Newtonian Physics, with ships carrying on motion along their inertial vectors.
After the initial facination of exploring a new Frontier and dreams of making a massive fortune faded, these games captured the essence of real life: where everything simply became a routeen, and you typically ended up working to live/living to work....
The BBC Master series version had a ship called the "Cougar" which you came across very occassionally. It had super strong shields and when you destroyed it, the cargo canister which you scooped up was a "cloaking" or "masking" device!
The later Frontier series of games were closer to Newtonian Physics, with ships carrying on motion along their inertial vectors.
After the initial facination of exploring a new Frontier and dreams of making a massive fortune faded, these games captured the essence of real life: where everything simply became a routeen, and you typically ended up working to live/living to work....
Played Elite on the Electron, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, PC1640 (Filled vector graphics) and Elite Plus on a 386. Only became elite on Elite plus though did have a lot of fun on the Amstrad version - jumping into witch space and fighting off fleets of Thargoids.
Also completed the original Mercenary on the Commodore and Cholo ( for those who want a modern twist on nostalgia - www.ovine.net/game-cholo.php ) another wire frame classic.
I did play Frontier 2 for a while - though it never quite "grabbed" you as much as the original Elite.
Also completed the original Mercenary on the Commodore and Cholo ( for those who want a modern twist on nostalgia - www.ovine.net/game-cholo.php ) another wire frame classic.
I did play Frontier 2 for a while - though it never quite "grabbed" you as much as the original Elite.
I was "Elite" on CBM 64, Amiga and PC.
Also hooked on Frontier etc.
How much time have I wasted...lol
Actually, come to think of it, none. I loved every minute of those games.
IMHO, they have never been equalled in terms of immersive experience. I just wish David Braben would stop pratting about with Roller Coaster Tycoon et al and get on with writing Elite 4, which is now about 6 years overdue...
Also hooked on Frontier etc.
How much time have I wasted...lol
Actually, come to think of it, none. I loved every minute of those games.
IMHO, they have never been equalled in terms of immersive experience. I just wish David Braben would stop pratting about with Roller Coaster Tycoon et al and get on with writing Elite 4, which is now about 6 years overdue...
www.eliteclub.co.uk/
Shareware dowload versions of frontier and firstencounter for the PC
gwaann you know you want to
Shareware dowload versions of frontier and firstencounter for the PC
gwaann you know you want to
Gorvid said:
What are the most up to date versions or 'clones' of these games....?
X3: Reunion looks quite similar.
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