Elite: Difference between revisions
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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.<ref>LaMosca, Adam (18 July 2006). "[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_54/324-Lost-in-the-Void Lost in the Void]". [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Escapist_(magazine) The Escapist]. Retrieved 17 November 2007.</ref> 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. | 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.<ref>LaMosca, Adam (18 July 2006). "[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_54/324-Lost-in-the-Void Lost in the Void]". [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Escapist_(magazine) The Escapist]. Retrieved 17 November 2007.</ref> 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. | ||
Elite is one of the most significant computer games ever | Elite is one of the most significant computer games ever. Elite changed the face of computer gaming dramatically with its combination of believability, considered design, compelling gameplay and longevity. | ||
== Gameplay == | == Gameplay == | ||
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[[File:The_Original_Elite%2C_1984.jpg|thumb|200px|The original Elite by David Braben and Ian Bell]] | [[File:The_Original_Elite%2C_1984.jpg|thumb|200px|The original Elite by David Braben and Ian Bell]] | ||
The player starts at [[Lave/Lave Station|Lave Station]] | The player starts at [[Lave/Lave Station|Lave Station]] with a [[Cobra MkIII]]. The default pilot name is Commander Jameson whom the station [[Shinrarta Dezhra/Jameson Memorial|Jameson Memorial]] is named after in [[Elite Dangerous]]. | ||
[[Trader|Trading]] is considered the primary way to earn [[credits]], but [[Bounty Hunter|bounty hunting]], [[Pirate|piracy]], [[Miner|asteroid mining]], illegally [[Salvage|salvaging]] cargo found in space, and [[Smuggler|illegal trading]] are available as more dangerous alternatives. Credits can be spent on [[Outfitting|upgrades]] to improve the ship's capabilities. | [[Trader|Trading]] is considered the primary way to earn [[credits]], but [[Bounty Hunter|bounty hunting]], [[Pirate|piracy]], [[Miner|asteroid mining]], illegally [[Salvage|salvaging]] cargo found in space, and [[Smuggler|illegal trading]] are available as more dangerous alternatives. Credits can be spent on [[Outfitting|upgrades]] to improve the ship's capabilities. | ||
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[[File:Elite.jpg|thumb|200px|Elite]] | [[File:Elite.jpg|thumb|200px|Elite]] | ||
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. | 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".<ref>[http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/134644/the_replay_interviews_gary_penn.php Gamasutra - Gary Penn interview"]</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".<ref>[http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/134644/the_replay_interviews_gary_penn.php Gamasutra - Gary Penn interview"]</ref> | ||
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=== The Original Elite, 1984 – 1992 === | === The Original Elite, 1984 – 1992 === | ||
It’s hard, at this stage, to return to the pre-Elite days of computer gaming in the early 80s. Back then games were largely simplistic, clones of arcade games or following very closely in their designs. Games were specifically designed to play through in a few minutes, featuring ‘lives’, ‘scores’ and ‘levels’. There were games that broke this mould, but they were few and far between, and often easily forgotten.<ref> | It’s hard, at this stage, to return to the pre-Elite days of computer gaming in the early 80s. Back then games were largely simplistic, clones of arcade games or following very closely in their designs. Games were specifically designed to play through in a few minutes, featuring ‘lives’, ‘scores’ and ‘levels’. There were games that broke this mould, but they were few and far between, and often easily forgotten.<ref name=":1">https://canonn.science/lore/drewwagar-history-the-original-elite/ | ||
</ref> | </ref> | ||
Elite was born out of the dissatisfaction with the confines of traditional gaming. With no score, what was the purpose? The Thatcherite years of the 1980s provided the answer – money. But money isn’t a score, you can spend money. On what? On upgrades… so your ship had to be inferior to start with. What would be the purpose of upgrading your ship? To defeat other vessels. Why would those other vessels attack you? Because you carried a cargo… so trading was required alongside piracy. There was always a reason for the game mechanics, and the concept developed from there. | Elite was born out of the dissatisfaction with the confines of traditional gaming. With no score, what was the purpose? The Thatcherite years of the 1980s provided the answer – money. But money isn’t a score, you can spend money. On what? On upgrades… so your ship had to be inferior to start with. What would be the purpose of upgrading your ship? To defeat other vessels. Why would those other vessels attack you? Because you carried a cargo… so trading was required alongside piracy. There was always a reason for the game mechanics, and the concept developed from there.<ref name=":1" /> | ||
The true genius, however, lay in providing the player with choices. Yes, there were pirates out there, but you could become one yourself if you so desired. You had moral choices in the game, with no predetermined path. | The true genius, however, lay in providing the player with choices. Yes, there were pirates out there, but you could become one yourself if you so desired. You had moral choices in the game, with no predetermined path.<ref name=":1" /> | ||
Read the full article at [https:// | Read the full article at [https://canonn.science/lore/drewwagar-history-the-original-elite/ Elite Dangerous History: The original ‘Elite’]. | ||
<gallery hideaddbutton="true"> | <gallery hideaddbutton="true"> | ||
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[[File:Elite-BBC-Micro-Package-1984.png|thumb|200px|Elite BBC Micro Package 1984]] | [[File:Elite-BBC-Micro-Package-1984.png|thumb|200px|Elite BBC Micro Package 1984]] | ||
The arrival of Elite heralded a new concept in game presentation. Instead of just the game media and an instruction sheet, Elite came packaged with a hefty manual, a novella based on the game, a ship poster and various other items.<ref>http://www.frontierastro.co.uk/Elite/bbc_tape.html</ref> | The arrival of Elite heralded a new concept in game presentation. Instead of just the game media and an instruction sheet, Elite came packaged with a hefty manual, a novella based on the game, a ship poster and various other items.<ref name=":2">http://www.frontierastro.co.uk/Elite/bbc_tape.html</ref> | ||
As with all other games on tape, loading the game was a laborious process, taking around 7 minutes to complete. Due to the nature of the cassette medium, no further loading took place at any stage, meaning docking and hyperspacing took place without delay. This was the reason why a number of features were missing compared to the disc version, as the latter loaded in fresh data during the game. | As with all other games on tape, loading the game was a laborious process, taking around 7 minutes to complete. Due to the nature of the cassette medium, no further loading took place at any stage, meaning docking and hyperspacing took place without delay. This was the reason why a number of features were missing compared to the disc version, as the latter loaded in fresh data during the game.<ref name=":2" /> | ||
== Elite Badge == | == Elite Badge == | ||