Gameplay
The player initially controls the character "Commander Jameson", though the name can be changed each time the game is saved. The player starts at Lave Station with 100 credits and a lightly armed trading ship, a Cobra Mark III. Most of the ships that the player encounters are similarly named after snakes or other reptiles. Credits can be accumulated through a number of means. These include piracy, trade, military missions, bounty hunting and asteroid mining. The money generated by these enterprises allows the player to upgrade their ship with enhancements such as better weapons, increased cargo capacity, an automated docking system, an extra energy bank and more. In the game universe, stars have single planets, each with a space station in its orbit. Stars are always separated by interstellar travel, interstellar distances which cannot be crossed using the ship's sublight engines. Travel between stars is accomplished by hyperspace jumps, and is constrained to those within range of the limited fuel capacity (a maximum of 7 light years) of the ship's hyperdrive. Sublight travel uses no fuel. Fuel can be replenished after docking with a space station, which requires matching the ship's rotation to that of the station before entering the docking bay—a task that can be avoided by purchasing a docking computer. Equipment upgrades include a fuel scoop, which allows "sun skimming"—collecting energy from the stars' stellar corona, corona—described by the manual as "a dangerous and difficult activity", but in practice a fairly simple process far easier than manually docking at a space station—and collecting free-floating cargo canisters and escape capsules liberated after the destruction of other ships. While making a hyperspace jump between star systems, the antagonistic Thargoid race may intercept the player half way, forcing the player's ship to remain in "witch-space" and do battle with the smaller invasion ships of the Thargoid. As the interrupted jump uses the full journey's fuel, the player may have insufficient fuel to subsequently jump to a nearby planet, trapping them in witch-space. They must either use an escape capsule, if owned, or abort the game and reload. An extremely expensive one-time Hyperspace, galactic hyperspace upgrade permits travel between the eight galaxies of the game universe. There is little practical difference between the different galaxies. However, in some versions it is necessary to travel to at least the second galaxy to access the game's missions. The planetary layout of the galaxies is different, and many players have discovered trade routes between closely positioned planets with fortuitous economic combinations. Most versions of Elite included several optional jobs for the Galactic Navy. One requires tracking down and destroying a stolen experimental ship; another involves transporting classified information on the Thargoids' home planet, with Thargoid invasion ships doing their best to see that the player does not succeed throughout the duration of the mission involving multiple interplanetary jumps. Rewards differed depending on the mission - from cash and gems to esoteric hardware such as a cloaking device.Development
According to Braben and Bell, ''Elite'' was inspired by a range of sources. The developers refer to ''2001: A Space Odyssey (film), 2001: A Space Odyssey'', ''Star Wars'', ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' and the original ''Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series), Battlestar Galactica'' as influences. Braben also cites the works of Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert L. Forward, Isaac Asimov and Orson Scott Card.Rusell DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, ''High Score!: the illustrated history of electronic games'', p. 340-341 While both have confirmed that the default commander name Jameson was inspired by the ''Traveller (role-playing game), Traveller'' tabletop role-playing game which Bell played, Braben has denied that substantial parts were derived from it. When the developers met at Jesus College, Cambridge, Bell was already working on a game for Acornsoft called ''Freefall''. Braben had started writing a game called ''Fighter'', but had not yet completed it. The two projects were sufficiently similar that Braben and Bell compared notes, and after seeing ''Star Raiders'' on the Atari 800 they decided to collaborate to produce what eventually became ''Elite''. They first approached Thorn EMI;The Daily TelegraphMarketing and release
Acornsoft set in motion a large-scale publicity campaign and commissioned a presentational package for the game that was far more elaborate than normal. Acornsoft packaged ''Elite'' in a box larger than its usual releases, complete with a novella by Robert Holdstock called ''The Dark Wheel'', a 64-page Space Trader's Flight Training Manual, reference card and a ship identification poster. The flight training manual was written in a style that took the rookie trader through the controls and various aspects of play. The original Acornsoft version of ''The Dark Wheel'' promised on its back cover that "[a] sequel to the novella is planned for publication in 1985", but no direct sequel was ever written. A second novella, ''Imprint'' by Andy Redman, was included with the IBM Personal Computer, IBM PC release of ''Elite Plus'', but apart from being set in the same universe it is in no way connected to the original story. Marketing activities included a £50,000 promotional budget from Acornsoft, including television advertising and a launch party at the Thorpe Park theme park (holding such an event for a video game was almost unheard of at the time) and a competition to be among the first to achieve the status of "Elite".''The Dark Wheel''
The story tells of a young starship pilot named Alex Ryder, whose father Jason is killed when their merchant ship is attacked by a notorious pirate. In trying to understand and avenge his father's death and achieve an "iron ass" (a space-trader's term for a well-armed- and armoured spaceship), Alex encounters the basics of the Elite universe—including combat, hyperdrive and hyperspace and the deadly aliens called Thargoids. Finally Alex discovers the truth about his father and his combat rank. He also acts as an acceptable face of trading as his female co-pilot, Elyssia Fields, is an alien and wanted in several systems. Alex wants to avenge his father's death, but must exercise caution in tracking down the assassin. By trading commodities, he slowly improves the arms and armour of his ship. When he is competent at using the spaceship for combat, but before he feels ready, he makes a trade that is sure to bring his father's killer to him. Alex also learns what the "Dark Wheel" is and what it takes to join its ranks.Versions
The first version of the game was released for the BBC Micro, model B on tape and disk and "about a month or two later" the Acorn Electron tape version was released. The Electron's limitations meant the game was in black and white only, and several game features were cut including Thargoids and suns. Neither the BBC nor the Electron tape versions featured missions. Additionally, the original tape version for the Electron contained a Bug (software), bug that stopped Galactic Hyperspace from working. Acorn provided a mail-in tape-replacement service to upgrade to v1.1 (marked as such on the tape label) that fixed this bug. A version for the BBC Micro with the BBC Micro expansion unit, 6502 Second Processor was announced by Acornsoft on 25 July 1985, this new version added several extras over the standard BBC version, including 18 ships in the player environment (up from 10), no loading from disc when leaving/arriving at a space station, the ability to save screenshots and print screens to an Epson compatible printer. It also boasted over double the frame rate and a MODE1/MODE2 split screen vs. MODE4/MODE5 giving a full colour game for the first time. https://elite.bbcelite.com/6502sp/ The great commercial success of the BBC Micro version prompted a bidding war for the rights to publish ''Elite'' in other formats, which British Telecom's software arm, Telecomsoft, eventually won. Contemporary versions for home computers based on the MOS Technology 6502, 6502 microprocessor were ported by either Bell or Bell and Braben. The Commodore 64 conversion introduced Trumbles (creatures based on the Tribble (Star Trek), tribbles in ''Star Trek: The Original Series''). When the docking computer is activated in the Commodore 64 version and some other versions, a musical rendition of "The Blue Danube" Waltz is played, as a nod to a space docking sequence in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film ''2001: A Space Odyssey (film), 2001: A Space Odyssey''. The ZX Spectrum version, programmed by "Torus" included a supernova mission not found in the original. The Amstrad CPC conversion has fewer ships than other platforms, lacking the Anaconda and Transport, along with some minor differences in missions and titles. Ricardo Pinto (novelist), Ricardo Pinto, the programmer for the Amstrad version, explained that his team was given a 6502 hex dump by Braben and Bell, which did not help development: "In the end we wrote our version by playing ''Elite'' on a [BBC Micro] and making ours look the same." This version included the "supernova rescue" and "cloaking device" missions, and refinements to the launch tube and jump drive animations. According to the lead programmer of the 16 bit Amiga/Atari ST and the MSX conversions Rob Nicholson, he did not have access to the source code because of contractual issues and had to write them "blind". All he had were the ship shapes and the procedural generation code for the galaxies. ''Elite Plus'' was released for DOS in 1991. Whereas the original ''Elite'' (1987) for the PC used Color Graphics Adapter, CGA graphics, ''Elite Plus'' was upgraded to take advantage of Enhanced Graphics Adapter, EGA, Video Graphics Array, VGA and Multi-Color Graphics Array, MCGA. It was coded entirely in assembly language by Chris Sawyer, who later wrote ''RollerCoaster Tycoon (video game), RollerCoaster Tycoon''. ''Section 3.18 and 3.19.'' The Acorn Archimedes version, ''ArcElite'' (1991), written by Warren Burch & Clive Gringras and regarded by ''Stuff (magazine), Stuff'' magazine as the best conversion of the original game, added intelligent opponents who engage in their own private battles and police who take an active interest in protecting the law. As well as such gameplay enhancements, the version also exploited the more modern hardware by using polygon mesh graphics in place of the wire-frames. The game world no longer seems to be centred around the player; freighter fleets with escorts go about their own business, pirate formations patrol lawless systems looking for cargo to loot and mining ships can often be found breaking up asteroids for their mineral content. Unlike the mythical Generation ship, Generation Ships of the original, rare occurrences of other non-pirate entities mentioned in the manual really can be found in the Archimedes version: geometric formations of space beacons; hermits living among the asteroids; abandoned ships towed by police (although Dredgers and Generation Ships are confirmed ''not'' to exist in Archimedes ''Elite''). The Archimedes version of ''Elite'' was originally written to be a space trading game called ''Trojan'' - however the obvious similarities eventually meant that to avoid a potential lawsuit ''Trojan'' had to become an official ''Elite'' conversion. ArcElite was one of a number of games released for free by ''The Icon Bar'' website in 2006. Some versions feature a new title, "Archangel", for the player to earn that substitutes the rank of Commander. Archangel is reached by undertaking a special mission to destroy a space station in a system invaded by the Thargoids. The player's reward for completing the mission is to receive the title Archangel and obtain a device that is capable of emulating anti-Electronic countermeasure, ECM broadcast. Versions for 32X and Sega Mega Drive were in development but cancelled due to Sony backing out of the project and lack of publisher. However, a ROM image of the Mega Drive demo was released online by co-designer Ian Bell.Reception
''Elite'' received very positive reviews on its launch and the BBC Micro version eventually sold 107,898 copies. The game's popularity became a national phenomenon in the UK, with reports airing on Channel 4 and elsewhere. ''Elite'' was Firebird's best-selling Commodore game as of late 1987. Bell estimates that approximately 600,000 copies were eventually sold for all platforms combined, while Frontier Developments' Elite page states that the numbers are around a million units. ''Elite''s technical breakthroughs reportedly amazed the BBC Micro's developers, with Sophie Wilson calling it "the game that couldn't have been written". However, many players found gameplay difficult and unfamiliar; the game was so controversial that ''The Micro User'' devoted its April 1985 letter column to readers debating it. In his review of the game for ''Beebug Magazine'' in 1984, David Fell called ''Elite'' "the best game ever" for the BBC Micro. In ''Personal Computer Games'' Shingo Sugiura said "''Elite'' is vast, complex and very, very absorbing. I've got bulging, red eyeballs from staying up into the early hours but I don't care. I'm going to continue playing until I am ranked Elite ... or at least Competent ... or even Average ... Buy it!". John Cook wrote in the December 1984 issue of ''Micro Adventurer'' "A masterpiece such as this is difficult to describe within existing parameters" and "By any standards, ''Elite'' is an excellent game, certainly in the Top Three this year. By BBC standards, it is simply the best game that has ever been written for the machine". ''Crash'' magazine said about the Spectrum version "''Elite'' is one of the most imaginative ever to be designed to run on a home computer" and gave it a score of 92%, while at the same time it was a best-seller in the Gallup charts. The game was number 16 in the ''Your Sinclair'' "Top 100 Speccy Games" in 1992, was voted number 7 in the ''Your Sinclair'' "Readers' Top 100 Games of All Time" in 1993 and was voted the 9th best game of all time by the readers of ''Retro Gamer'' Magazine for an article that was scheduled to be in a special ''Your Sinclair'' tribute issue. Similarly ''Zzap!64'' gave the Commodore 64 version 97%, stating that it was "a brilliant game of blasting and trading and is certainly the best game I've seen this year" in 1985 and the Amiga version 98% in 1989. In 1984, ''Elite'' received the Golden Joystick Awards, Golden Joystick Award for "Best Original Game". In 1985 the game was awarded the "Best Game Overall" for that year by readers of ''Crash (magazine), Crash'' magazine, and "Game of the Year" by ''Computer Gamer''. In a 1992 survey of science fiction games, ''Computer Gaming World'' gave the title two of five stars, stating that its "popularity was largely a result of being one of the first space games with a 'large' universe to explore". The magazine gave ''Elite Plus'' two-plus stars, describing it as "More detailed and complex, it is also more tedious than the original". A 1994 survey of strategic space games set in the year 2000 and later gave ''Elite'' and ''Elite Plus'' three stars and two-plus stars, respectively. In 1993, ''Commodore Force'' ranked the game at number four on its list of the top 100 Commodore 64 games. It was ranked #14 top game of all time by ''Next Generation (magazine), Next Generation'' in 1996, #12 on IGN's 2000 "Top 25 PC Games of All Time" list, the #3 most influential video game ever by the The Times, ''Times'' Online in 2007, #6 "Greatest Game" by ''Stuff (magazine), Stuff'' magazine in 2008, #1 "Top Retro Game" by ''Retro Gamer'' in 2004, and #1 "best game of the 1980s" by ''Next Generation'' in 2008. In 1996, ''GamesMaster (magazine), GamesMaster'' ranked Elite 11th on their "Top 100 Games of All Time." The game was retrospectively awarded 10/10 by the multi-format magazine ''Edge (magazine), Edge''—together with only Edge (games magazine)#Retrospective awards, 2 other games— and is being exhibited at such places as the Science Museum, London, London Science Museum in the "Game On (exhibition), Game On" exhibition organised and toured by the Barbican Art Gallery. ''Elite'' is also featured in ''Game On! From Pong to Oblivion: The 50 Greatest Video Games of All Time'' by authors Simon Byron, Ste Curran and David McCarthy. In 1991, ''PC Format'' placed ''Elite Plus'' on its list of the 50 best computer games of all time. The editors called it "a classic game that mixes solid 3D space combat with trading to create a universe in which you can spend many a happy half-hour bushwhacking the dastardly Thargoids."Impact
''Elite'' has often been regarded as defining the genre for Space trading and combat game, space trading games. Since its release ''Elite'' has been credited as being the title that defined the modern space flight simulation genre, a significant source of inspiration for later games in the genre as well as being influential upon gaming as a whole. In interviews, senior producers of CCP Games have cited ''Elite'' as one of the inspirations for their acclaimed MMORPG, ''EVE Online''. The developers of ''Jumpgate Evolution'', ''Battlecruiser 3000AD'', ''Infinity (MMOG), Infinity: The Quest for Earth'', ''Space Rangers (video game), Space Rangers'', ''Hard truck#Hard Truck Apocalypse, Hard Truck: Apocalyptic Wars'' and ''Flatspace'' have likewise all credited ''Elite'' as a source of inspiration. Similar praise has been bestowed elsewhere in the media over the years. It has been named as one of the most influential games in history, and has been credited as being the first truly open-ended open world game and opening the door for future online persistent worlds such as ''Second Life'', ''World of Warcraft'' and ''EVE Online''. ''Elite'' is one of the most popularly requested games to be Video game remake, remade, with some arguing that it is still the best example of the genre to date, with more recent titles—including its immediate sequel—not rising up to the same level.Legacy
In November 1999, on the game's 15th birthday, Ian Bell released many binaries and source code of several versions of the original game on his website. A dispute arose between Bell and David Braben regarding Bell's decision to make available all versions of the original ''Elite''. The dispute has since ended and the various versions became available again on Bell's site. In the late 1980s a variant of the commercial BBC Micro ''Elite'' release was created by Angus Duggan by disassembly, disassembling and modifying the MOS Technology 6502, 6502 code from the existing with many extra features, originally titled ''Elite III'' but now known as ''Elite A'' to minimise confusion. It includes many more ship types, more ship types flyable by the player (who begins in the less capable Adder), cargo delivery missions, some extra equipment items and numerous gameplay improvements. ''Elite A'' was released publicly in 1997. Like the original game, it can be downloaded free from Ian Bell's web site and played under emulation. Many attempts to develop Clone (computing), clones of ''Elite'' have been made, but most have been abandoned before completion or have otherwise failed to come to fruition. The Open-source software, open source ''Oolite (video game), Oolite'' is a notable exception. Another successful adaptation is ''1337'' (meaning "Elite" in Leetspeak) developed by Jose Maria Enguita for the Oric machines, that won the ''2010 Oldschool Gaming Game Of The Year Award''. Contrasting with these conversions, around 1999 Christian Pinder developed ''Elite: The New Kind'' as a modern PC port of the original BBC Micro version. He achieved a faithful port by reverse-engineering the original assembly language, assembly written BBC Micro version and recreating a platform neutral C (programming language), C code variant from it, but at David Braben's request this version was withdrawn from distribution in 2003. In September 2014, on ''Elite''s 30th birthday, Ian Bell blessed ''Elite: The New Kind'' and re-released it for free on his website. Since then, ''Elite: The New Kind'' is also distributed again in version 1.1 by Christian Pinder; a source code mirror is hosted on GitHub. In 2020, Christian Pinder also released an upscaled Windows port of the Acorn Archimedes' Elite. On 20 October 2013, the Internet Archive started to offer Elite in the ZX Spectrum version for online playing in the browser via Multi Emulator Super System, MESS Emulator, emulation.See also
* History of video games * ''Cosmonautica'' * ''Escape Velocity Nova'' * ''Starflight''References
Literature
External links