The Majesty of Elite

[THXII38]

Download a funky PC remake of Elite here;

http://www.rebelstar.co.uk/remakes.htm


It's best played on a BBC Master Compact in my opinion.

DONT DISS THE ZX SPECTRUM MAN

I have a Sinclair calculator, and a ZX Spectrum. I also have a C5 wingmirror.

I have played Elite on many systems, but not the NES.

Could someone enlighten me, how does one control the ship with a NES controller. There are nowhere near enough buttons to do it!


I also recommend reading 'Only You Can Save Mankind' by Terry Pratchett, it's elite their playing for sure

[THXII38]

"Aaaaiieeegh!" Eventually you become so rich/powerful, that you've basically beat the game.

To beat the game you complete the missions, and also earn the combat status of ELITE.

The money makes little difference really.

If you buy every weapon upgrade, and unit your Cobra MK3 can fit, and then hyperspace to a system with an anarchists government, whilst hauling narcotics and gold, then attack the Space Station (assuming you can last long enough to battle your way to it) how long can you last then?


I kicked myslef for passing up a copu of ELITE 2 in cash convertors last year.

I always thought it would be cool to link a couple of computers up, and play a co-operative version of Elite, where you are crew memebrs of the same ship. Then you could have a pilot, and navigator, really making use of those sideways facing guns too!

[gamingguy]

"Aaaaiieeegh!" Eventually you become so rich/powerful, that you've basically beat the game.

To beat the game you complete the missions, and also earn the combat status of ELITE.

Missions? What missions?

[THXII38]

What missions?




There are several. You are invited to do the first one, by a text message on the screen, in much the same way that the 'RIGHT ON COMMANDER' appears.

The first mission, is from the Navy. They hire you to chase a space ship that has stolen a cloaking device.

A later mission includes smuggling triblles. (however you spell it, those furry things that breed like mad)

[gamingguy]

Ohhh, riiiiight. (hits self in head) Duh. How could I forget the missions?

I played Mission#1 where you have to track and destroy the Constrictor ship. It really wasn't too difficult. Just shoot it 1000 times (or whatever) which was easy since it didn't move around a lot. Then I quit the game 'cause I got bored. When you're so ultra-powerful and survival is no longer a challenge, Elite on the C=64 loses its appeal. IMHO. [Goes off to search for Elite FAQS.]

According to http://www.btinternet.com/~robert.pf...ite/afefaq.htm, each version of Elite has different missions:
BBC Tape (0) ---None.
BBC Disk (2) ----Constrictor/Thargoid Documents
Spectrum (2)--------Supernova/Cloaking Device
Commodore=64 (3)-----Constrictor/Thargoid Documents/Trumbles
NES (?)-----Mission unknown?
Amiga/Atari ST (5)------Constrictor/Thargoid Documents/Supernova/Thargoid Invasion/Masking Device
PC Elite Plus (7)-------Tribble/Supernova/Stolen Police Ship/Thargoid Documents/Asteroid Bombardment/Masking Device/Thargoid Invasion. ( I can't believe they left out the Constrictor Mission?!?)



DESCRIPTIONS:
1) Tribble------At 6553.6cr, you are offered a Tribble / Trumble for sale. If you buy it, it sits in your hold eating cargo and multiplying. If you get enough, you may see one crawling across the screen! They are useless and can be destroyed by flying close to the sun. If you escapsule, one comes with you to start the whole cycle again.

2) Supernova--------- You enter a system and all your fuel drains away in a leak. When you dock, you are told the sun is going nova and are asked if you will take refugees. Accept, and all your cargo is dumped to make space and you have to launch immediately. Refuse, and you are kicked out anyhow. You now have to use a galactic hyperspace or scoop the star for fuel. Your reward: Some gem stones, or 1000CR (varied withversion).

3) Stolen Police Ship------------ You are asked to help the military track down and destroy a stolen police ship - it's quite obvious; it's been given a new paint job. Reward: 4000CR

4) Thargoid Documents------------- You are asked to pick up the captured designs of a thargoid battleship from site A and take them to site B (usually a very long journey) and are hassled by thargoids all along the way. In some versions you may even find out that you were only a decoy, after all! Reward: Naval Energy Unit (better than standard model) or 5000CR depending on version.

5) Asteroid Bombardment-------------A planet is under threat of collision with an asteroid shower. All the system's ships have been destroyed trying to fragment them. You must save the day! Reward: 6000CR

6) Cloaking / Masking Device------------Reports of a ship in a nearby sector which is fitted with some sort of a masking device. Destroy it. It is intermittently invisible to both radar and sight and cannot be missile targetted. It is one of the 3 Asps you encounter on first entering the system, and when you engage, Constrictors (fawn, blunt) and Cougars (red, blue and black, with rectangular wings) come to its aid. Novel, eh?

7) Thargoid Invasion------------A nearby space station has been taken over by thargoids. They apparently also possess a hyperdrive jammer. If you destroy the station (which is guarded by a swarm of thargs) you receive a hyperspace jammer as a reward. You also receive the rank "Archangel".

8) Constrictor------A top secret naval ship prototype has been stolen - the Constrictor. You must track it down and destroy it. If in galaxy 1, you are told where it was last sighted, and follow the trail (in the Data on System screens) to where it galactic-hyperspaces. If in galaxy 2, you are just told that it has entered this galaxy and must try and remember the site of galactic hyperspace entry. Note down all systems in 7ly of your entry to galaxy 2: These are where it may have jumped to. Explore each in turn (include the one you arrive at - this is the correct next stop in some versions) until you pick up the trail again. When you find it, it is tougher than any other ship, including Constrictors in the Masking Device mission, and is energy bomb proof. A sly way to beat it is to missile at close range so it cannot ECM in time. Reward: Money (varies with version, may be up to 10,000CR)

[gamingguy]

THIS SOUNDS LIKE THE BEST VERSION. I'll have to try it out today.
Source: http://www.btinternet.com/~robert.pf...ite/afefaq.htm


Archimedes Elite (Gringras & Burch, 1991)
---------------------------------------------------
Claimed by all those who have played it (to the extent of my knowledge) to be the best incarnation of Elite ever. Superficially, it is BBC Elite with solid, colour graphics and extra ships. However, for the first time in the Elite universe, you are no longer the centre of action. The AI has taken a colossal step forwards. Now you can encounter pirate packs battling it out for dominance of their private patches, traders under attack, Bushmaster mining vessels smashing asteroids into chunks and scooping up the pieces, vipers towing disabled ships back to the station, vipers flying along in formation looking for some lawbreaker to fight... (they are _very_ deadly. I've seen a pack of six flying along in a perfect rectangle suddenly peel off into combat. They took down 5 caimen and 5 geckos before I could even blink). There are even other ships like yourself - Cobras armed to the teeth looking for pirates to fight, to boost their Elite rating. A considerable range of new ships, all with their own unique characters. And then there's the oddities. But that'll wait until later.
Quite simply the most playable Elite game of all time.

3.20.2) Missions
----------------
Genesis Capsule/Kill Zartid III/Kill Zurid Pino/Medicine Run

[Oobgarm]

hey theaveng, ...uhh I mean gamingguy, editing those so only the links show would be a better idea, methinks.

[asharru]

yeah, so now it's like blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah...



Did you guys know Shakespeare invented the word puke?

[THXII38]

I suppose it figures that the Archimedes version would rock.

Don't know why I never thought to see if a version was released for it.

I think I shall buy an Archimedes just so I can play it. I have never owned one, I bought a Master Compact when they were cuttign edge, and could never afford the Archimedes when it was released, they still fetch quite a lot on eBay too.

[gamingguy]

I edited my message to save space. Now you may remove your "blah blah blah" message to save space too.


AND YEAH THX1138, the Archimedes sounds awesome in that description and LOOKS awesome in that picture I posted. I see that Archimedes emulators do exist for download, albeit without any sound.
(Note: The picture shows a viper police squadron blowing up a pirate!)

[asharru]

[gamingguy]

I. LOVE. ELITE.

I played the C64 version incessantly. Dealing willingly with the plastic decoder that I had to hold up against the TV screen to "beat" the copyright pirates..

Interesting. My C=64 Elite used the Novella for protection. "Type in page XX, line YY, word ZZ." It was easy to defeat since it kept rotating the same 3 words.

[THXII38]

Plastic Decoder that you held agains the screen?

> >

Not the LENS LOK

aaaagggggggghhhhhhh

Was that a dumb bit of kit or what?

I thought only the Spectrum fans had that fordced on them.

It did not last long, only a couple of games, but boy was it a major pain the neck or what?


+++ I am getting all hot and bothered just remembering that dumb thing, and it was years ago +++