Elite: Difference between revisions
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'''Elite''' is a space trading and combat simulator, originally published by Acornsoft for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron computers in September 1984.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100127094607/http://frontier.co.uk/games/elite Games by Frontier - Elite]". Archived from [http://frontier.co.uk/games/elite the original] on 27 January 2010.</ref> It is the first installment of the legendary [[Elite series]]. Elite is the longest running space simulation series in history. This is verified by Guinness World Records.<ref name=":0">https://twitter.com/gwr/status/611537566299463681?lang=en Guinness World Records, 18 Jun 2015</ref> | '''Elite''' is a space trading and combat simulator, originally published by Acornsoft for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron computers in September 1984.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100127094607/http://frontier.co.uk/games/elite Games by Frontier - Elite]". Archived from [http://frontier.co.uk/games/elite the original] on 27 January 2010.</ref> It is the first installment of the legendary [[Elite series]]. Elite is the longest running space simulation series in history. This is verified by Guinness World Records.<ref name=":0">https://twitter.com/gwr/status/611537566299463681?lang=en Guinness World Records, 18 Jun 2015</ref> | ||
The game's title derives from one of the player's goals of raising their [[Pilots Federation#Ranks|combat rating]] to the exalted heights of "Elite". It was written and developed by [[David Braben]] and [[Ian Bell]], who met while they were both undergraduates at Jesus College, Cambridge. Versions of the game for other platforms were published by Firebird, Imagineer and Hybrid Technology. | The game's title derives from one of the player's goals of raising their [[Pilots Federation#Ranks|combat rating]] to the exalted heights of ''"Elite"''. It was written and developed by [[David Braben]] and [[Ian Bell]], who met while they were both undergraduates at Jesus College, Cambridge. Versions of the game for other platforms were published by Firebird, Imagineer and Hybrid Technology. | ||
Elite was one of the first home computer games to use wire-frame 3D graphics with hidden line removal. Another novelty was the added twitch gameplay and the inclusion of [[Elite: The Dark Wheel]], a novella by Robert Holdstock which influenced new players with insight into the moral and legal codes to which they might aspire. The Dark Wheel was the first novella to be included for distribution with a video game in history.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070211011328/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=78368 Games that changed the world: Elite".] ''Computer & Video Games''. Archived from [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=78368 the original] on 11 February 2007.</ref><ref name=":3">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_(video_game)</ref> According to Guinness World Records: ''"Elite was the first game to feature a (3D) procedurally generated world."''<ref>[http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-use-of-procedural-generation-in-a-video-game/ First use of procedural generation in a videogame - Guinness World Records]</ref> | Elite was one of the first home computer games to use wire-frame 3D graphics with hidden line removal. Another novelty was the added twitch gameplay and the inclusion of [[Elite: The Dark Wheel]], a novella by Robert Holdstock which influenced new players with insight into the moral and legal codes to which they might aspire. The Dark Wheel was the first novella to be included for distribution with a video game in history.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070211011328/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=78368 Games that changed the world: Elite".] ''Computer & Video Games''. Archived from [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=78368 the original] on 11 February 2007.</ref><ref name=":3">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_(video_game)</ref> According to Guinness World Records: ''"Elite was the first game to feature a (3D) procedurally generated world."''<ref>[http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-use-of-procedural-generation-in-a-video-game/ First use of procedural generation in a videogame - Guinness World Records]</ref> | ||
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=== 3D Open World Space Game === | === 3D Open World Space Game === | ||
Jamie Sefton of GamesRadar explains: "The first truly open-world game was made for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron back in 1984 – David Braben and Ian Bell’s Elite. Until then, space games were flat, 2D experiences where you were restricted to a choice of when to move your ship and fire laser bolts at ever-descending dot-matrix aliens. Elite created a believable open-ended wire frame universe of planets, political systems, economies, trading routes and space stations, in which you could explore the galaxies and define your Commander Jameson – would you live the life of a bounty hunter, a miner, a trader or a pirate?"<ref>http://www.gamesradar.com/the-roots-of-open-world-games/</ref> | Jamie Sefton of GamesRadar explains: ''"The first truly open-world game was made for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron back in 1984 – David Braben and Ian Bell’s Elite. Until then, space games were flat, 2D experiences where you were restricted to a choice of when to move your ship and fire laser bolts at ever-descending dot-matrix aliens. Elite created a believable open-ended wire frame universe of planets, political systems, economies, trading routes and space stations, in which you could explore the galaxies and define your Commander Jameson – would you live the life of a bounty hunter, a miner, a trader or a pirate?"''<ref>http://www.gamesradar.com/the-roots-of-open-world-games/</ref> | ||
Rich Moss of Ars Technica said: " | Rich Moss of Ars Technica said: ''"Elite changed everything. It was the home computer game to have in the mid-1980s—an open-ended spacefaring romp through eight 256-planet galaxies, which were fixed in their composition but cleverly generated on the fly by an algorithm in order to save on storage space. Its abstract 3D wireframe planets and spacecraft provided just enough detail to instill the appropriate sense of scale, with the rest left to your imagination."''<ref>https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/03/youre-now-free-to-move-about-vice-city-a-history-of-open-world-gaming/</ref> | ||
== Music == | == Music == | ||
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Elite's open-ended game model, advanced game engine and revolutionary 3D graphics ensured that it was ported to virtually every contemporary home computer system, and earned it a place as a classic and a genre maker in gaming history. Elite was a hugely influential game, serving as a model for more recent games such as Space Rogue, Eve Online, Freelancer, Jumpgate, Infinity: The Quest for Earth, Wing Commander: Privateer, Pardus, the Escape Velocity series, the X series of space trading games and the Grand Theft Auto series.<ref>https://classicreload.com/c64-elite.html</ref> | Elite's open-ended game model, advanced game engine and revolutionary 3D graphics ensured that it was ported to virtually every contemporary home computer system, and earned it a place as a classic and a genre maker in gaming history. Elite was a hugely influential game, serving as a model for more recent games such as Space Rogue, Eve Online, Freelancer, Jumpgate, Infinity: The Quest for Earth, Wing Commander: Privateer, Pardus, the Escape Velocity series, the X series of space trading games and the Grand Theft Auto series.<ref>https://classicreload.com/c64-elite.html</ref> | ||
The former creative director of DMA Design Gary Penn cited Elite as a major influence for the original Grand Theft Auto (1997), "But I'd been working on Frontier, which is very different and there were definitely other people on the team who had things like Syndicate, Mercenary and Elite very much in their minds as well. That combination definitely led to the more open plan structure there is now. The game as it stands now is basically Elite in a city, but without quite the same sense of taking on the jobs. You take on the jobs in a slightly different way, but incredibly similar structurally. It's just a much more acceptable real world setting. The game was cops and robbers and then that evolved fairly quickly -- nobody wants to be the cop, it's more fun to be bad. And then that evolved into Grand Theft Auto" | The former creative director of DMA Design Gary Penn cited Elite as a major influence for the original Grand Theft Auto (1997), ''"But I'd been working on Frontier, which is very different and there were definitely other people on the team who had things like Syndicate, Mercenary and Elite very much in their minds as well. That combination definitely led to the more open plan structure there is now. The game as it stands now is basically Elite in a city, but without quite the same sense of taking on the jobs. You take on the jobs in a slightly different way, but incredibly similar structurally. It's just a much more acceptable real world setting. The game was cops and robbers and then that evolved fairly quickly -- nobody wants to be the cop, it's more fun to be bad. And then that evolved into Grand Theft Auto."''<ref>[http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/134644/the_replay_interviews_gary_penn.php Gamasutra - Gary Penn interview"]</ref> | ||
[[File:Elite-Series-Guinness-World-Record-Longest-Running-Space-Simulation-Series.png|thumb|200px|Elite series Guinness World Record for Longest Running Space Simulation Series]] | [[File:Elite-Series-Guinness-World-Record-Longest-Running-Space-Simulation-Series.png|thumb|200px|Elite series Guinness World Record for Longest Running Space Simulation Series]] | ||
The [[:Category:Elite series|Elite series]] spans over 30 years. On 18 June 2015, David Braben and Frontier Developments received a certificate from Guinness World Records, because Elite is officially the longest running space simulation series in history. The certificate says ''"The longest running space simulation series is Elite created by David Braben and Ian Bell and was released on 20 September 1984. Officially amazing."''<ref name=":0" /> | The [[:Category:Elite series|Elite series]] spans over 30 years. On 18 June 2015, David Braben and Frontier Developments received a certificate from Guinness World Records, because Elite is officially the longest running space simulation series in history. The certificate says: ''"The longest running space simulation series is Elite created by David Braben and Ian Bell and was released on 20 September 1984. Officially amazing."''<ref name=":0" /> | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
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[[File:Elite-Game-1988-Atari-ST-port.png|thumb|200px|Elite 1988 Atari ST port]] | [[File:Elite-Game-1988-Atari-ST-port.png|thumb|200px|Elite 1988 Atari ST port]] | ||
Due to the great commercial success of the BBC Micro version, Elite was ported to every contemporary home computer system | Due to the great commercial success of the BBC Micro version, Elite was ported to every contemporary home computer system, including Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari ST, Acorn Electron, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 64, MSX, Tatung Einstein, ZX Spectrum and IBM PC compatible. IBM PC DOS got the second enhanced version called Elite Plus. It was also ported to Nintendo Entertainment System home video game console. British Telecom's computer software division Telecomsoft won a bidding war for the rights to publish Elite on other platforms.<ref name=":3" /><ref>"[https://archive.org/stream/MicroAdventurer14-Dec84#page/n6/mode/1up Elite Auction]", Micro Adventurer (14): 7, December 1984</ref><ref>"[https://archive.org/stream/home-computing-weekly-092/Home_Computing_Weekly_092#page/n4/mode/1up Elite for Spectrum]". Home Computing Weekly. Argus Press (92): 5. 11 December 1984.</ref> | ||
== BBC Micro Package == | == BBC Micro Package == | ||
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The [[Elite logo]] is a combination of Pilots wings, the Elite text and a stylized Griffin which was added by artist Philip Castle. He also worked on the Cobra and Coriolis cover for the original Elite. | The [[Elite logo]] is a combination of Pilots wings, the Elite text and a stylized Griffin which was added by artist Philip Castle. He also worked on the Cobra and Coriolis cover for the original Elite. | ||
David Braben said "The Elite logo took a while to get right. The inspiration was a mix of pilot's wings and logo. The Griffin thing was Philip Castle's idea."<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/15od2s/i_am_david_braben_cocreator_of_elite_creator_of/ I am David Braben, co-creator of Elite, creator of Frontier, Frontier II and the upcoming Elite: Dangerous]</ref> | David Braben said: ''"The Elite logo took a while to get right. The inspiration was a mix of pilot's wings and logo. The Griffin thing was Philip Castle's idea."''<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/15od2s/i_am_david_braben_cocreator_of_elite_creator_of/ I am David Braben, co-creator of Elite, creator of Frontier, Frontier II and the upcoming Elite: Dangerous]</ref> | ||
In the Elite universe it's the emblem of the [[Pilots Federation|Elite Federation of Pilots]]. The body awards and administers the Elite ratings. The gold badge is for Elite pilots and silver for all other ranks. | In the Elite universe it's the emblem of the [[Pilots Federation|Elite Federation of Pilots]]. The body awards and administers the Elite ratings. The gold badge is for Elite pilots and silver for all other ranks. | ||
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== Trivia == | == Trivia == | ||
* The original Elite was one of the first video games to use 3D vector shapes, and it used less memory than a single email does today.<ref>https://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/File:Elite-1984-3D-Vector-Shapes.png</ref> | * The original Elite was one of the first video games to use 3D vector shapes, and it used less memory than a single email does today.<ref>https://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/File:Elite-1984-3D-Vector-Shapes.png</ref> | ||
* The game's title is derived from a player's goal to raise their combat rating to the exalted heights of "Elite". | * The game's title is derived from a player's goal to raise their combat rating to the exalted heights of ''"Elite"''. | ||
* Most of the ships were named after snakes. This came about because of the wire-frame models looking a bit like snake heads. | * Most of the ships were named after snakes. This came about because of the wire-frame models looking a bit like snake heads. | ||
* Frontier Developments offers this game for free on the [https://www.frontierstore.net Official Store] site for PC and Mac. | * Frontier Developments offers this game for free on the [https://www.frontierstore.net Official Store] site for PC and Mac. | ||