Elite 128
Platform: Commodore 64
Gametype: Undefined
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Elite is a free-form space trading and combat simulation, commonly considered the progenitor of this sub-genre. The player initially controls a character referred to as "Commander Jameson", starting at Lave Station with 100 credits and a lightly armed trading ship called Cobra Mark III. Most of the game consists of traveling to various star systems, trading with their inhabitants, gaining money and reputation. Money can also be gained by other means beside trading; these include undertaking military missions, bounty hunting, asteroid mining, and even piracy. As the player character earns money, he becomes able to upgrade his ships with enhancements such as better weapons, shields, increased cargo capacity, an automated docking system, etc.

The game utilizes pseudo-3D wire-frame graphics; its world is viewed from a first-person perspective. It has no overarching story, though a race known as Thargoids play the role of antagonists: their ships will often attack the player-controlled ship, forcing the player to engage in space combat. Combat is action-oriented, taking place in the same environment as the exploration. The player must use various weapons the ship is equipped with, as well as manoeuvre the ship, trying to dodge enemy attacks. The player can also choose to attack neutral ships; doing so will decrease the protagonist's reputation, eventually attracting the attention of the galactic police.

Elite is notable for its expansive game world, consisting of eight galaxies and 256 planets. The player is free to travel to any of these planets, provided his ship has enough fuel for the trip (the ship's fuel capacity is limited for a journey to the distance of seven light years).

Trivia

1001 Video Games

Elite appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
Book

The book Game On! From Pong to Oblivion: The 50 Greatest Video games of All Time contains a chapter on Elite.

Controversy

Elite's two creators, Ian Bell and David Braben, were not on the best of terms for a long time, ever since development on Elite 2 was cancelled. This erupted into open confrontation during 1999-2000 when Bell decided to release all versions of Elite as freeware. The dispute was settled and all files relevant to Elite and Braben's version of the matter can be found in Ian Bell's website.

Copy protection

The ZX Spectrum version used Lenslok as copy protection. Lenslok was a physical device with a lense unique to the game which had to be used to decipher a code (more information here). The first few hundred copies of the game were delivered with a faulty Lenslok device, rendering the game unusable.

DOS version

Two versions were supplied with the DOS release, Shaded and Line Drawn. At the selection screen this message is displayed regarding the shaded version: "...but unless your machine is powerful (6MHz 80286 or greater) it will not run very quickly and you should select the line drawn version."

Extras

The package came with a novella about how your father sacrificed himself and saved you by dumping you in the lone escape pod in the ship, and how you managed to "acquire" this ship that you are driving at the beginning of the game.

Fan club

This was apparently the first game, or among the first games, to have a fan club.

Game On exhibition

Elite is being exhibited as part of the "Game On" exhibition in places like the London Science Museum. David Braben also gave a lecture as part of the exhibition in 2006.

Musical

Ian Bell's brother, Aidan Bell, enjoyed a spell of success writing for musical theatre; sooner or later his muse led him to his brother's enormous success story, which (believe it or not) resulted in 1989's completion of Elite: the Musical, furthering the storyline set forth in Robert Holdstock's novella The Dark Wheel. The book and lyrics, with mp3 recordings, (c) Pink Hippo Productions Ltd, can be perused.

Whether or not this musical has ever been produced on the off-Broadway stage is unclear, though one figures the chances are slim to nil.

Records

Elite (as of 2009) holds fours Guinness World Records. These are for the most format releases for a space trading game, being released on 25 different formats, the first space trading game, the first game to use Lenslok copy protection (the ZX Spectrum version) and the first space game to use procedural generation.

References

The docking sequence is borrowed from the movie 2001 - A Space Odyssey. Also, the music ("On the beautiful Blue Danube") used in this sequence is the same as in the movie. The only difference is, that the space station looks different, but the one who played the sequel to Elite, namely Frontier: Elite II, knows that this got corrected...

The second worst pilot rating, "Mostly Harmless", is an obvious reference to Douglas Adams's "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" book series. In the books, "Mostly harmless." is the entire contents of the Hitchhiker's Guide article about Earth. One of the books is also called "Mostly Harmless", though it was published after Elite hit the shelves.

Ships

Most of the ships, which can be cycled through in start-up with F9/F10, in the game are named after snakes. There's a few exceptions such as the Moray and Gecko.

Awards

Computer Gamer
1985 - Game of the Year
Crash
1985 - Best Game Overall
GameStar (Germany)
Issue 03/2013 – One of the "Ten Best C64 Games“
Golden Joystick Awards
1984 - Best Original Game
Happy Computer
Issue 02/1986 - #2 Best Game in 1985 (Readers' Vote)
Issue 04/1987 - #12 Best Game in 1986 (Readers' Vote)
IGN
2000 - #12 Top PC Games of All Time
Next Generation
2008 - #1 Best Game of the 1980s
Retro Gamer
October 2004 (Issue #9) – Best Game Of All Time (Readers' Vote)
Telespiele (trade show)
2007 - One of the 16 Most Influential Games in History
Times Online
2007 - #3 Most Influential Video Game Ever

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Description

This game has no defined aim and no defined ending. There is no time limit, in which certain tasks need to be done. This open game principle differs basically from all computer games known at this point of time.

As Commander Jameson the player can travel through eight galaxies to boost his career as an astronaut. The success of the player becomes noticeable both in cash money and the grading as astronaut. Large and small mistakes have an influence on the criminal record, which in turn can result in a more hostile behaviour of the authorities or other astronauts. The player's spaceship needs to be navigated through three-dimensional space. The player can control the speed and the rotation around the crosshair and the vertical axis. Unlike Elite 1, the flying characteristics are like flying through the air (not a vacuum) – the maximum speed is reached quickly and a relatively narrow spiralling is possible. 

Furthermore, the gravitational force of the celestial bodies is missing - one has to steer around planets instead of swivelling into an orbit. The space traffic is handled by orbital stations; landing on a planet is not possible (for the player). Strangely, there is exactly one planet in each solar system with each exactly one orbital station. Docking to them can sometimes prove to be difficult. Interstellar distances are crossed by hyperspace jump of at most 7 light years.

The beginning spaceship is equipped only very basically and the capital is very limited. Additional equipment can be bought which improves the fighting power and the possibilities to earn money significantly. Other spaceships cannot be bought.

The possibilities to earn money are manifold. On the one hand you can trade by using the price differences between two solar systems. The prices of the traded goods are random to a small extent and mainly dependent on the economic classification of the corresponding system. With a space claw you can retrieve unowned items from space, which then can be sold. If the player does not want to wait until other spaceships jettison their shipping containers voluntarily, he can help them a bit by shooting the laser. This procedure is usually referred to as piracy. For shooting pirate ships and asteroids you usually get paid a small award, a bounty. Another source of income is the mining industry, which is the decomposing of asteroids with the mining laser. The parts can be collected and sold.

A special peril pose the Thargoid Invaders. They can pull spaceships from their hyperspace jump and attack them in interstellar space. The octagonal ships of the Thargoids are astonishingly strong and robust. Furthermore, these spaceships send out remote-controlled drones that can be caught and sold. Sometimes these Thargoid ships also appear in space close to planets.

As a special goody the player is also offered in this game version altogether three missions:

If the account has reached 6583,5 Cr for the first time, the player can buy "Trumbels". This is actually not really a mission but it poses a task for the player.

After 256 kills and in the first and second galaxy the player gets offered to search the stolen prototype of a fighting ship and destroy it. As a reward beckon 5000 Cr.

After finishing the previous mission and 1280 kills and the third galaxy the player is offered to transport blueprints for a new fighting ship through half the galaxy. Here you are awaited by numerous fights with Thargoids as well as an improved energy unit as a reward.

Design

3D-simulation in vector graphics; objects are displayed as lattice model (unique at that time on the C64). View in first-person perspective from the cockpit of a spaceship, information screens for the trading and navigation functions. Various sound effects and two music pieces.

The functional position screen in the lower part of the screen shows the position of other objects relative to the own spaceship in Cartesian view.

Controls

1  buy load (only when ship is docked)
2  sell load (only when ship is docked, otherwise overview of good prices)
3  equip ship (only when ship is docked)
4  galactic map
5  local map
6  data about the system
7  market prices
8  status
9  inventory
F  search planet (only when star map is called up)
D  distance to the system (star map)
D  set back cursor to current position (star map)
@  access to storage medium (only when ship is docked)
#  leave trade menu (see 1,2,3)
Inst/Del ←  (arrow to the left key) restart game

,  or <  roll anti-clockwise or JOYSTICK
.  or >  roll clockwise or JOYSTICK
S  sink or JOYSTICK
X  rise or JOYSTICK
Space  more thrust
-  or /?  less thrust
C  switch on docking computer
P  switch off docking computer
H  hyperspace jump
J  short jump
CTRL H  galactic hyperspace jump
A  fire laser or FIRE BUTTON
T  place missile on aim
M  fire missile
U  deactivate missile
E  activate ECM-System (if available)
C=  (Commodore key) energy bomb
←  activate emergency capsule (if available)
f1  view to the front (start)
f3  view aft (start)
f5  view startboard (start)
f7  view portside (start)

In the English version there is only one music piece (by Johann Strauß). In the German version, however, there is an additional song. When you have stopped the game with "Inst/Del", there are the following undocumented functions.

A  switch alignment (during rolling/tilting) on/off

Run/Stop  switch absorbability on/off

K  keyboard/joystick controls
Y  swap left/right (aim backwards)
J  swap left/right and up/down
Q  sound effects OFF
S  sound effects ON
F  flashing RED/YELLOW ON/OFF
P  drawing of planet
C  music possible/not possible
M  switch music immediately on/off
B  switch on/off sounds during music
E  choose between two songs
X  switch mode on/off: CTRL  during hyperjump "attracts" Thargoids.

Spaceship types

Kills	Ranking

0	Harmless
8	Mostly Harmless
16	Poor
32	Average
64	Above Average
128	Competent
512	Dangerous
2560	Deadly
6400	Elite

(Source: http://www.iancgbell.clara.net/elite/faq.htm#A4 )

Ship specs and kill evaluations

In the BBC version each ship is counted as a kill. In the C64 version a "fractional" byte (a so-called kill evaluation) was inserted, which is given in the column "Kill Value" in the following table.

Example: 8 destroyed platelet count as 1 kill (8 x 0,125). 4 destroyed Boas count as 10 kills.

Name	Size	Energy	Speed	max.miss.	max.loot	Bounty (CR)	Kill Value
Coriolis Stn.	160	240	0	6m	0t	0	0
Dodec Station	180	240	0	0m	0t	0	0
Missile	40	2	44	0m	0t	0	1.75
Tharglet	40	20	30	0m	0t	5	0.3906
Space Junk	16	17	8	0m	0t	0	0.1953
Escape Capsule	16	17	8	0m	0t	0	0.1953
Platelet	10	16	16	0m	0t	0	0.125
Cargo Cannister	20	17	15	0m	0t	0	0.1211
Boulder	30	20	30	0m	0t	0.1	0.0781
Astroid	80	60	30	0m	0t	0.5	0.0977
Rock Splinter	16	20	10	0m	0t	0	0.1172
Shuttle	50	32	8	0m	15t	0	0.1953
Transporter	50	32	10	0m	0t	0	0.1992
Rock Hermit	80	180	30	2m	7t	0	1
Police Viper	75	140	32	1m	0t	0	0.3125

Traders
Cobra III	95	150	28	3m	3t	0	2.75
Python	80	250	20	3m	5t	0	2
Boa	70	250	24	4m	5t	0	2.5
Anaconda	100	252	14	7m	7t	0	3

Pack Hunters
Sidewinder	65	70	37	0m	0t	5	1
Mamba	70	90	30	2m	1t	15	1.5
Tikrait	60	80	30	0m	1t	10	1
Adder	50	85	24	0m	0t	4	1.0625
Gecko	99	70	30	0m	0t	5.5	1
Cobra I	99	90	26	2m	3t	7.5	2
Worm	99	30	23	0m	0t	0	0.5859

Lone Wolves
Cobra III	95	150	28	2m	1t	17.5	3.5
Asp II	60	150	40	1m	0t	20	3.25
Python	80	250	20	3m	2t	20	3.5
Fer de Lance	40	160	30	2m	0t	0	3.75
Moray	30	100	25	0m	1t	5	2.25
Thargoid	99	240	39	6m	0t	50	8
Constrictor	65	252	36	4m	3t	0	16
Cougar	70	252	40	4m	3t	0	16

(Source: http://www.iancgbell.clara.net/elite/faq.htm#A4 ) 
(Kill Values converted to decimal by HtW)

Ship expansions

Name	Tech-Level	Credits
Fuel	1	LY*2
Missile	1	30
Cargo Bay Expansion	1	400
E.C.M. System	2	600
Pulse Laser	3	400
Beam Laser	4	1000
Fuel/Cargo Scoops	5	525
Escape Pod	6	1000
Energy Bomb	7	900
Extra Energy Unit	8	1500
Docking Computers	10	1500
Galactic Hyperdrive	11	5000
Mining Laser	11	800
Military Laser	11	6000

Further hints

The possible enemies in a fight usually use the same tactics which are dependent on the ship type. Especially the smaller ships try to stay in the blind angle, here additional lasers can be helpful.

If three or more ships materialise at the same time close to each other in the planet-near space, these are almost always pirates.

Thargoids in the interstellar space always appear in groups of four, in planet-near space a group of two always materializes and always in a backmost quadrant of the positioning screen.

The octagonal ships of the Thargoids are damaged by using an energy bomb, but they usually do not get destroyed, the drones are fortunately less robust. Missiles are useless, as the Thargoids have an ECM- system and they can release this almost immediately after locating the missile.

If activated drones of the Thargoids are destroyed or caught with the help of the space claw, the corresponding (octagonal) spaceship releases new drones. If all main ships are destroyed, the remaining drones are automatically deactivated.

The regular use of missiles or energy bombs is a very expensive affair, as the costs for a missile are disproportionate to a possible reward. Both can be seen as a kind of life insurance. If a missile is shot from a striking distance, the victim may not have enough time to release its potentially available ECM system, which sometimes also works for Thargoid motherships.

The own ship can survive a collision with another spaceship or a missile hit, if the shields have their full capacity. So it can make sense to simply ram an especially persistent small enemy (e.g. Adder, Worm) , before it fires its missiles.

The numerous sound effects offer a precious help during a fight. A laser hit makes a different sound as a misfired shot. The missile system can be used as targeting help. Once activated a short peeping sound rings when a target is in the sight; this is the right moment to use the laser.

Laser and ECM system use energy from the accumulators. When the energy is scarce you should abstain from the use of these appliances, so that at least one energy accumulator can regenerate. Course changes at random and braking and accelerating manoeuvres can avoid hostile hits in the meantime.

Trumbels are unfortunately not transparent.

Trumbels are only looking for trouble! But they are soooo cute! Staying near the sun kills them but it wlll be difficult to get the invested 5000 Cr back by selling the furs. Using an emergency capsule is also no help here!

The stolen prototype "Constrictor" (2nd mission) can be found in a certain system. Hints in the planet data lead to the trail. Fortunately, the new owners have no idea what is in the ship.
The transport of the blueprints (3rd mission) will not get boring at all.

Nobody ever gained wealth through mining. The most useful application of a mining laser is the working on the outer skin of a bigger freight ship, which after some shots releases its load and disintegrates into debris that can be retrieved and sold together with the freight containers.
Dealing with drugs, fire weapons or slaves leads to the grade "offender" in the criminal records.
If an emergency capsule is retrieved, it can be sold - together with the creature inside it - as "slaves".
If an orbital station is "accidentally" shot, this leads to a grade as "fugitive", and the fanning out of police ships. Here the player can only land again (if he can escape the police attacks), if the criminal record has been reduced (by a hyperspace jump) to "offender".

The most trading profits can be reached, if you trade with systems that are as different as possible. You can reach good sales prices mainly with products that are rare in the corresponding system. Computer, machines and luxury goods sell in agrarian states significantly better than resources of all types, textiles or food.

Gold, platinum and jewels can still be loaded although the cargo hold is already full. Captured drones of the Thargoids are attached at the outside of the ship and therefore do not add to the ships capacity.

Bugs

If a lot of goods has more than 6553,5 Cr, there is an undetected overflow and a lot less is calculated. If the value of the goods is 6554 Cr only 0,4 Cr are booked, unfortunately. So when selling you need to take care to sell in small amounts, then there are no problems! I noticed this when I wanted to sell 151kg of platinum for the hell of a price of 77,2 Cr. My 21.094,9 Cr became only 26.198,5 Cr after the sale, but it should become 32.752,1 Cr! So 6553,6 Cr were missing, this number was familiar to me, 65536 is 2 16,so 2 Bytes + 1. Greetings, Worf (Hints from the 64Games-Forum from 24.02.2004)

In the English version the first page of a two-sided information screen is always shown only for a few seconds , then immediately the second page is called up. This applies mainly to the system information and is therefore especially annoying, as the information about the economic system and the type of government are on the first page, the more meaningless additional information (made out of text modules) on the second page. In the German version this bug is fixed.

Manual docking (short course by Worf)

The docking is easiest, if you fly directly towards the station stop shortly before it and then align yourself to the planet and then fly towards it with fulll speed for about seven seconds, at the same time do not disregard the height indication. During this you can well look out to the rear and watch the stations getting smaller.

Then you stop again, turn and head for the station, are aligned perfectly, only co-rotate and fly in. If it does not work the first time, just repeat.

(Worf, 27.02.2004 in the C64Games Forum)

Automatic docking

The docking computer can land automatically, but makes correction of the course until the ship is on the ideal inbound track. As the ship is only accelerated to half the speed, the docking with the computer can take incredibly long.

The docking computer should in no case get switched on, if the station is not yet in sight, as the computer always chooses the direct path and does not consider whether other ships or the planet are in this path.

The player flies towards the station, stops shortly before it and then heads towards the planet. Then you fly a few seconds with full speed towards the planet. Then the ship has to turn instantly at a halt. The ship should now be already on a more or less convenient inbound track. With full speed it keeps heading for the opening now and at the last moment before the collision the docking computer is switched on.

Landing is most of the time a bit ungentle, but succeeds almost always. If the approaching angle was chosen really very unfavourable it can happen that the docking computer cannot make any sufficient corrections any more.

Manual

A complete manual including the novel "Das Dunkle Rad" to the game in Language German is availabe online on C64Games.de - Game No. 594 . Additionally, you find there star maps of all galaxies, solutions and background knowledge about the missions and the game.

Solution

Trade routes

For a start you should transport food from Lave to Leesti. After having sold the food completely, you fill your storage room with computers and bring them to the space station of Diso. From Diso you then fly again with food and later also with fissible material, spirits or furs back to Leesti to start from there again with computers (alternatively, but less profitable also machines and luxury goods).
On the route Leesti - Diso there is often smuggling of drugs/weapons and slaves, however, many a smuggler was ruined because the sales prices are sometimes drastically below the purchase prices. Others were caught by the police or the competition.

The route Leesti-Lave works similar to the route Leesti-Dori, but yields a lower profit. The route Leesti-Riedquad is also comparable, but you should not fly to Riedquad without the protection of beam lasers (best front and back).

Basically, concerning the percentage, food, spirits and textiles are best traded from poor to rich and in absolute numbers per ton, furs, spirits and fissible material. In the opposite direction from rich to poor, computers are always the first choice next to luxury goods, weapons and machines.

Economic divide

The order from rich to poor is:

Rich Industrial
Average Industrial
Poor Industrial
Mainly Industrial
Mainly Agricultral
Rich Agricultural
Average Agricultural
Poor Agricultural

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Description from the packaging:

Command your Cobra space ship in a fantastic voyage of discovery and adventure, a supreme test of your combat, navigational and entrepreneurial skills.

Trade between countless planets, using the proceeds to equip your ship with heat-seeking missiles, beam lasers and other weapons- corporate states can be approached without risk, but unruly anarchies may be swarming with space pirates.

Black market trading can be lucrative but could result in skirmishes with local police and a price on your head!

However you make your money, by fair means or foul, you must blast onwards through space annihilating pirate ships and hostile aliens as you strive to earn your reputation as one of the Elite!

http://www.mobygames.com/game/c64/elite
