Elite 2: Frontier

[blueST]

I've just downloaded a DOS Emulator and Frontier to my Mac for a bit of old school gaming. I played this game many years ago on my Amiga. Loved the scale of the game but I was pretty hopeless. In particular I could never get to grips with combat.

Before I start afresh on Ross 154 with 100 credits can I have some tips from the experts I know are in here? Tips on any aspect are welcome, but I'm most interested to know how the hell you shoot other ships, especially with the puny vessel you start with. My missiles go astray and the laser never hits the target.

[SlipStream77]

I seem to remember that an early and profitable run was to or from Barnard's Star and Sol with Computer Equipment / Electronics?

Also, don't shoot at anything when you have just started, you are probably outgunned by pretty much anything.

Aim to upgrade from the Eagle ASAP, at the beginning go for the vessel with the largest cargo capacity you can afford. You need the volume to increase the trading profit.

Regarding combat, I don't think I used missiles very much, lasers were more effective. Try to get closer to the target and rather than keep the crosshairs on the enemy, try to get them to at least cross the target occasionally.

You will have a Panther Clipper in no time

Also, you may find these interesting...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2QpfYpbPwQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX4fbsdpjQg&fea...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0gZ-pvktqg&fea...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2BYxSivFZE&fea...

Here's the X3 website...

http://www.egosoft.com/games/x3tc/info_en.php

The X games are quite complex in terms of trading, weapons, ship upgrades etc. You can own and fly multiple ship types, build space stations and even link them together into huge manufacturing complexes.

Have fun

[FLK]

Pretty much what SS77 said but...

SlipStream77 said:

I seem to remember that an early and profitable run was to or from Barnard's Star and Sol with Computers or Robots to Sol / Luxuries or any kind of Foodstuffs to Barnard Star.

Sell missiles and your laser as well, you won't need them. Sell your atmospheric shields once you get to Barnards Star and just use orbital stations. Make sure also to check the station's BBS at Sol for people wanting Robots or Computers for over 2 times the price. Don't bother with combat until you can afford a beam laser or 5MW pulse (if you can aim well) and have a ship that can fit at least shields and ECM.

If you're going for a bounty hunter/assassin lifestyle or the military the Asp Explorer and Imperial Courier are considered as probably the best combat ships in the game. You'll also need a class 3 military drive for the Asp to get the most out of it.

Here's three of the main FE2 and FFE sites to give you some pointers and they also have plenty of links to other useful sites.

http://www.alioth.net/
http://www.sharoma.com/frontierverse/
http://www.lotf.co.uk/index.shtml

Edited by FLK on Wednesday 15th July 20:34

[ShadownINja]

How does that compare with... you know... Eve Online?

[Timberwolf]

SlipStream77 said:

I seem to remember that an early and profitable run was to or from Barnard's Star and Sol with Computer Equipment / Electronics?

Playing it so safe?

Permit for van Maanen's star, fast hyperdrive, cargo bay full of as many (illegal) luxury goods as you can afford. The profit margins are insane... especially when, every so often, someone turns up willing to pay double the already-doubled illegal goods price on them.

Trade route back was always a bit so-so, but who cares when you're making so much on the way in?

p.s. by the time I figured this one out, I was on First Encounters. Pretty sure the basics are all still there in FE:2 though. Great games.

[FLK]

Good point, forgot that one. Sol's the best place to get a permit from what I remember.

Combat is much better in FFE (and FFE is better in general with JJFFE or try AnisoFFE if you want more of a challenge). Getting jumped by three Cobra Mk3s and a Plasma wielding Imperial Explorer can be a bit of a scare when you've only just recently started out.

[castex]

I've been dabbling with Oolite, great fun it is too!

[Carfiend]

ShadownINja said:

How does that compare with... you know... Eve Online?

There are no Goons in Elite 2 to ruin it for you

[blueST]

Thanks for the tips. I've done as suggested and started doing the easy trade route between Sol and Barnard's Star. Sold my scanner, missiles laser and shielding because i thought I was safe, then got attacked!

Not had chance to look at the links yet.

I'm running the game through DosBox on my Mac which struggles a bit with the graphics, very jerky when close to large objects. Does anyone know of a more efficient Dos emulator?