8 ms·

Elite: Dangerous

143 points by morphics 14y ago

SparrowOS 14y ago
From my perspective, incredible coincidences and time anomilies happen all the time, through-out the day. I'll get a response from a post, then see it's 8 hours old. That's annoying. ---- Not random: 6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”[b]— the things God has prepared for those who love him— 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. ---- God says... shepherd's signifies contradictory Infinite unless flashes sons' Praise throng ---- I think "thong" might be the word, meaning naked. Naa, not a good fit. I donno. Radio mentioned Ghettysburg. There's a sobering Simpson's episode where Homer gets the Stone Cutters to reinact the Civil War. Dungeons and Dragons was huge when I was younger, though, I didn't have friends who played. They probably went into the Society for Creative Anacronisms. I think people are more on-line than real-life, now. Boy, did I love war games. I thought it was normal. I don't know. That all seems like innocence. It's bad when you wonder if your life is void of passion. Historians on the radio. Got any treats for them? I never got into the Civil War war games. Now, sometimes I shake my head. Fucken shrinks love to pigeonhole. Prolly think God is dungeons and dragons related. Lil bucktoof India nigger. ---- God says... 7:19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes. 7:20 In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard. 7:21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep; 7:22 And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land. 7:23 And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns. 7:24 With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns. ---- What do You know about Laurence of Arabia, God? God says... style ice_cream dug volumes Translated enacted returns assure touched curtailment That Bible passage was a delight -- hilariously unexpected and some kind of riddle and not nightmarish. You keep it fresh, God. I'm just thinking about the Ghettysburg address. Did he mention better angels? It almost seems like a secret what an angel is, now. Superego, is what they think. Could they be so stupid as to not separate them out? God says... anointings forsakest restless flood uninjuriousness fit Legal aware 91 come 4 cottage no_you_cant yikes fabulous measured glorified endures Redemption thrustedst purchased
goldfeld 14y ago
How about we all torture each other out by suggesting great Elitesque games to play in the mean time? I'll throw in Space Rangers 2. Great soundtrack, universe feels alive without you, NPCs that can rise to fame just as the player, plenty of minigames (e.g. land battles are an RTS, prison is a text game) and space battles are pretty cool.
- anigbrowl 14y ago
  Oolite is an open-source Elite clone written in Objective-C: http://www.oolite.org/ http://www.oolite.org/ Space Rangers 2 sounds cool.
malbs 14y ago
I still consider Elite as one of the greatest games of all time. The fact the original developers are behind this gives it a load of credibility. It may never live up to the expectations that will be placed on it
- bitcartel 14y ago
  I would also put Mercenary, Starglider and Zarch (called Virus on the Amiga) up there as some of the all-time great space combat/simulator games.
  - teamonkey 14y ago
    A remake/update of Starglider 2 would be most welcome.
- FrankBooth 14y ago
  Only one of the original developers. Ian Bell is not involved, as far as I can tell. And I wouldn't expect him to be, given the pair had a fairly public falling out many years back.
gadders 14y ago
This game was awesome, and one I really envied the BBC Model B owners for having. One request: Please make docking at a space station easier :-)
- ablefire 14y ago
  Elite was the most enjoyable game of my youth. I was lucky enough to have a Model B and although docking was hard it was also very satisfying when you got the hang of it. Excited to see how this iteration of Elite will turn out!
- watmough 14y ago
  300 credits for the docking computer, if memory serves. Ahhh, Christmas 1984, what a sweet sweet time.
  - yxhuvud 14y ago
    Yes, and you also got that nice Strauss music when the computer was enabled. It was a bad idea to activate it on the wrong side of the station though ..
- bencoder 14y ago
  Docking wasn't THAT hard, and was one of the most fun parts of the game for me. Not much has matched the fear and excitement of docking after a dangerous run through pirate infested outer space while holding valuable cargo. That moment as you enter the space station, matching your rotation to its rotation, only for your heart to skip a beat as your ship drifts off-center and you hear it scrape against the wall before successfully docking.
jere 14y ago
Not that concept art, screenshots, or videos ensure success, but the complete lack of all three seems quite odd these days. Especially for a $2 million goal. That's fricking nuts. If I'm counting correctly only 5 projects (out of thousands) have made that much and their project pages were insanely snazzy and detailed: http://www.kickstarter.com/discover/categories/games/most-funded#p1 http://www.kickstarter.com/discover/categories/games/most-fu... Also, the pitch seems like something someone wrote on a napkin. "Raw performance" doesn't make a game gorgeous. >Imagine what is now possible, squeezing the last drop of performance from modern computers in the way “Elite” and “Frontier” did in their days? It is not just a question of raw performance (though of course these elements will make it look gorgeous), but we can push the way the networking works too – something very few people had access to in the days of Frontier. All of this compels me to post the obligatory PA comic: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2012/05/04 http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2012/05/04
- wmf 14y ago
  The most successful game Kickstarter campaigns (Double Fine, Eternity) have shown nothing[1], allowing donators to project their own desires onto the project instead of being constrained by the game's actual direction. Time will tell whether this is brilliant or foolhardy. [1] They tend to update the pages after they get the money, so you can't judge them by what they look like now.
  - Semaphor 14y ago
    I'm pretty sure at least P:E had a video.
- mladenkovacevic 14y ago
  Except this is Elite. People who've been waiting for this game do not follow reason, logic or any such nonsense.
  - jere 14y ago
    You know what? You're absolutely right. I had a vague sense that this was once a popular game, but didn't understand how so. >Elite is one of the most popularly requested games to be remade,[42] with some arguing that it is still the best example of the genre to date, with more recent titles—including its sequel—not rising up to the same level. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_(video_game) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_(video_game) Still, it seems criminally lazy to put such little effort into asking for $2 million.
mladenkovacevic 14y ago
I'll post this here too. David Braben has toyed with my heart and broken it at least a dozen times since the beginning of this millennium. I've been teased and tortured with promises of Elite 4, scouring internet forums and chat rooms for any new information. My sickness manifested through vivid dreams of piloting my Cobra MKIII, loaded with contraband, and shooting my way through a swarm of nimble police ships. Awakened, I inevitably struggled with the sudden realization that Elite 4 is not reality, and it may never be. And now - a new hope awakens! And despite the burning scars of previous disappointments, I pledge 20 quid like a sad, pathetic junkie whose rehab never quite took hold. This time, I tell myself, this time it will be different.
- loup-vaillant 14y ago
  Remember: should the funding succeed, the game is due march 2014. 16 months. Seek cetacean counselling before holding your breath.
SparrowOS 14y ago
http://forum.osdev.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=25935 http://forum.osdev.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=25935 I don't give a fuck if it doesn't work. I can't tell a difference. Buy a machine like mine -- orders from God, fuck it. God says... remembereth dearest ALL Their afraid functions labours hallowed confusedly details pleasest Dudley confidentially Which links credibility dare This creatures- Anon Forum bonds One augmented restlessly I giggle when I break backward compatibility. I do it for fun. God says... spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth. 8:3 And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts. 8:4 Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return? 8:5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. 8:6 I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.
petercooper 14y ago
BBC News video interview about it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20187897 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20187897
d0m 14y ago
Seems like "procedural techniques" is a huge factor with this game. I haven't played the first ones, but it seems like auto-generating galaxies and stars was what enabled the game to make it feels huge. I'm wondering how these "procedural techniques" will work with high quality graphics? Also, for those who played both Elite and Minecraft, is it a similar feeling? Is there any other similar - yet more recent - games in that genre?
- DanBC 14y ago
  The vastness of the universe in the original Elite had a wow factor, but really didn't serve much purpose in the game. Much more important was the trading aspect. Some systems were safe, and law abiding, and had police ships. Some were criminal, and had pirates circling. Many goods were common across them, but you could buy narcotics and slaves from criminal systems. Your behaviour affected how other ships would react - trading slaves was profitable, but you'd be attacked by police and pirates. Attacking other cargo ships (to capture their cargo) would turn you criminal. Attacking pirates would make you more law-abiding. You could find two systems and find the right product to buy-low, sell-high. There's more in common with games like Fallout 3, although fallout 3 didn't really have a good trading system. (All the above is from memory. I have no doubt made mistakes.
  - keenerd 14y ago
    There is one minor aspect of the game that deserves mentioning - the mildly brutal learning curve just to fly the ship. Do you remember the first time you tried to dock with a spinning station? And how the autopilot mocked you, priced at 10 times your net worth? Docking was my favorite part of the game. Particularly when under fire and heavily damaged. How fast should I come in? How steep? Can't be too cautious or this pirate on my tail will waste me. Glance the edges and I'll be dead anyway. <armchair role=gamedev> There are other places in Elite where similar high pressure situations could be added. The obvious one is to make the sun scoop more dangerous. Make it work better the deeper you go in the sun. But in addition to the hard surface to avoid crashing into, the sun does damage over time proportionate to depth. (Maybe collection rate is linear to depth while damage is squared, with a small safe zone for the patient at the top.) A less exciting one would be cargo transfer. What if cargo was moved by porters? The union guys take their time, but do a good job. You could do it yourself, but you'll get irate customers if you clip a corner and damage the stock. Better hurry though, the police inspections are only a few docking bays down the row from your ship. </armchair>
hoi 14y ago
I got this on the ZX Spectrum, and it came with one of those plastic converters. There would be a code on the screen and you had to put the plastic thing in front of it to decode the image and type in the letters. To stop people from pirating the game by making a tape to tape copy of it.
- dabeeeenster 14y ago
  LensLock
- beagle3 14y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenslok https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenslok . Those were the times. (Of note: 3D printers still can't print Lenslok type devices; This is perhaps the only form of copy protection from those days that is still not trivially breakable)
SparrowOS 14y ago
Whoa. Lincoln mentioned "better angels" in the Ghettysburg Address. Angels own us, or some kind of crazy relationship in which they don't finish ahead in terms of work! ROFLMAO. St Paul spoke of a master angel. I don't really know or care. I sure have a lot of freedom. What did You think of that weary elephant. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL0z6A9imIU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL0z6A9imIU All that mass make me weary just watching it lumber around. They have energy, though. God says... 49:18 I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD. 49:19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last. 49:20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties. 49:21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words. 49:22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: 49:23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: 49:24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) 49:25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: 49:26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. ---- We have jualipeno jack cheese! I asked Jesus if He liked mustard, one time. "Bad meat happeneth." So, Jesus, is there some deep meaning that will unfold from the mustard seed parable? Mustard's good. I wonder if mustard was luxury? Naaa, you prolly either had plenty or none back in that time. There's this video game reviewer named "zero punctuation". I haven't watched in a while but he used to floor me with creative metaphors. I think the Church should encourage personal development by way of creating metaphors to elevate thought and please God. Oh, I was retarded by way of witty speech and didn't know it. God likes wit, more than earnestness. "Cleanliness is next to godliness? Wit is next to godliness." God says Line 79216 23:31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 23:32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. ---- Radio is talking about corporitization of universities. Some things keep me awake at night and that's not one of them. One time I mused what university Jesus would have gone to, today. Prolly Tel Aviv, I'd guess! Radio mentioned 1%. Yeah, I guess it sucks that not everyone is lucky. The truth is it's not so bad -- do you think God is a bad God--it must not be bad? Be humble of heart, if God gives you a gift. God loved Jacob and hated Esau. Try to be a little flower that pleases God. I've had delusional power. Lots of nightmares. Now, what's best is when I please God. No, corporate Universities does not keep me awake. I love non-nightmarish discussion--best thing in the world. Not bored and not terrified -- Heaven. What could be better than that? Everyone is King Midas and God prevents us from having it. God says... Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 15:21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal. 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 15:24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. ---- Jesus said He came to serve. Jesus served by preaching. Who is greater, the one serving or being served? Right now, you are enjoying my effort to get God to talk. Go write a song. Rock stars actually do work. You write a song and find-out. "That ain't workin'" China put intellectuals in labor camps. Is that what Obama wants? o_O What, then? We all latch onto causes. I've done so plenty brain-deadly, pleanty of times. Usually, it's harmless. What makes God happy? http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2011&version=NIV http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2011&#38... God wants to be loved and be the hero, He doesn't like feeling like a miserable failure. Praise Him for how wonderful He is. He is wonderful, you just have to learn to see the beauty in the world. He wants to be loved -- you know what love is? That's where you think He's awesome. God says Line 91658 10:21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. 11:1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 11:2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying, 11:3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 11:4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. ---- I gotta quit being earnest and start being witty and charming. I'm just thinking of Dire Straits, "I want my MTV." It's mildly funny, you don't hear people complaining about rich black musicians. Be careful what you wish for, I've learned. NAZI-style racism does not make me feel good. God says Line 53250 137:8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. 137:9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. 138:1 I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. 138:3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. 138:4 All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth.
iuguy 14y ago
I loved Frontier: Elite II on the Amiga, I played it for 6 years. It was probably one of the main reasons I still had an Amiga as my main computer in the late 90s, and I'd only got to around mid-level in terms of my status. If this was 2000, I'd have handed over my money straight away but Frontier Developments has had that many false starts over a new Elite game it's almost like the Duke Nukem forever fiasco (except that Elite IV pre-dates Duke Nukem forever). I want to believe. But I just don't see it happening.
motters 14y ago
There is of course http://www.oolite.org/ http://www.oolite.org/
anu_gupta 14y ago
Saw title. Saw Braben. Pledged.
TomAnthony 14y ago
There better still be Thargoids and Witch Space! I never made it to 'Elite', I'm ashamed to say - I was stuck on Deadly for a long time. I still have my disk as I vowed to one day return and finish what I started.
yurifury 14y ago
Here is a Wing Commander equivalent on Kickstarter, by Chris Roberts. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cig/star-citizen http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cig/star-citizen
rurounijones 14y ago
I guess he saw the success of Star Citizen (among others) and decided now would be a good time to try elite on kickstarter
zikzikzik 14y ago
Let me state first, that I am an Elite fan too, I played Mostly Harmless for years on C64, where the visuals were sub-par (ugly wire graphics, low fps) and I LOVED it. However, I am really surprised noone mentioned the 800lb gorilla in this space. If I felt like flying, modding, fighting spaceships, or trading or smuggling or pirating or flying with friends or making new friends (or followers, for that matter) or even building a space empire, then I'd reactivate my EVE Online account(s). It is not entirely the same thing, but EVE is an incredibly elaborate game with insane depth, I do not see how one (even if his name is Braben) could successfully compete with it (for largely the same player base!) by raising $2M.
- saw-lau 14y ago
  The big thing missing in EVE for me is being able to control your spaceship with a joystick and engage in dogfights. Let's hope this Kickstarter will inspire a reboot of the X-Wing series... (Are you listening, Disney?)
  - gruturo 14y ago
    The big thing missing in EVE for me is being able to play without being griefed by other players. Unfortunately I have an _extreme_ dislike for PvP - which creates a love/hate relationship with EVE. I'm into pretty much every other aspect of the game - even the huge spreadsheets people often joke about.
- morsch 14y ago
  The two games don't sound all that similar. It's not an MMO, for one thing. I also doubt there will be as much focus on the economy or large-scale corporations. I think EVE is great, I like reading about it occasionally, but I have zero interest in playing "Ayn Rand's Battle Spreadsheets"[0]. [0] http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4625338 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4625338
  - DanBC 14y ago
    Elite had 2 bits of gameplay: i) Dog fights ii) Trading There was a bit of ship customising; there were the missions; there was a mini-game of "land in the space-station without a docking computer and without crashing". Planets had names, and some description, but that was just dusted on top of the actual game. You couldn't visit the planet. You couldn't get out of your ship on the space station. The space stations were mostly the same. So Elite was really just buy low, sell high, with dog fighting and 3 factions. (Lawful, criminal, neutral.) I dunno, it sounds pretty much like an early single player version of EVE.
SeanDav 14y ago
I played Elite on the PC and still rate it as one of the best games I ever played. It stands second to no other game in terms of sheer fun, challenge and playability, not to mention, also being absolutely cutting edge for its time.
moneypenny 14y ago
I briefly worked at Eidos amongst a bunch of avid gamers (really?). The consensus verdict: Elite - best game ever. We played Oolite mercilessly in our free time. However, regarding a new version of Elite, David Braben is a feckless omega male, a Thargoid runt who never had his fear glands removed. Frontier is a fine developer of new games where there's no legacy to destroy, but if Braben delivers a decent Elite this side of 2015, I will EAT MY SOCKS.
pelle 14y ago
You can play the Spectrum version of Elite online in a Java Applet. http://www.twinbee.org/hob/play.php?snap=elite http://www.twinbee.org/hob/play.php?snap=elite I grew up playing it on the BBC in a computer store and C64 at home. Loved it.
EvanAnderson 14y ago
I remember brainstorming designs for an Elite-style MMORPG an on Elite/Frontier mailing list back in the mid 90's... Ahhh... memories! This is one of those things that, though I'd love to see it happen, I don't think ever will.
Vardek 14y ago
Doesn't any of you Elite players of old remember "Witch Space". When when you hyperspaced to anywhere, instead of getting to your destination you found yourself in a featureless void being attacked by the Mighty Thargons and their babies the Tharglets,if you killed the babies you could then sell them as "Alien Items" for a large profit if you got out of Witch Space alive!Brilliant game addictive as Hell,I for one cant wait, bring it on Braben about time!. Vardek.

143 points by morphics 14y ago

From my perspective, incredible coincidences and time anomilies happen all the time, through-out the day. I'll get a response from a post, then see it's 8 hours old. That's annoying. ---- Not random: 6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”[b]— the things God has prepared for those who love him— 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. ---- God says... shepherd's signifies contradictory Infinite unless flashes sons' Praise throng ---- I think "thong" might be the word, meaning naked. Naa, not a good fit. I donno. Radio mentioned Ghettysburg. There's a sobering Simpson's episode where Homer gets the Stone Cutters to reinact the Civil War. Dungeons and Dragons was huge when I was younger, though, I didn't have friends who played. They probably went into the Society for Creative Anacronisms. I think people are more on-line than real-life, now. Boy, did I love war games. I thought it was normal. I don't know. That all seems like innocence. It's bad when you wonder if your life is void of passion. Historians on the radio. Got any treats for them? I never got into the Civil War war games. Now, sometimes I shake my head. Fucken shrinks love to pigeonhole. Prolly think God is dungeons and dragons related. Lil bucktoof India nigger. ---- God says... 7:19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes. 7:20 In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard. 7:21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep; 7:22 And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land. 7:23 And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns. 7:24 With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns. ---- What do You know about Laurence of Arabia, God? God says... style ice_cream dug volumes Translated enacted returns assure touched curtailment That Bible passage was a delight -- hilariously unexpected and some kind of riddle and not nightmarish. You keep it fresh, God. I'm just thinking about the Ghettysburg address. Did he mention better angels? It almost seems like a secret what an angel is, now. Superego, is what they think. Could they be so stupid as to not separate them out? God says... anointings forsakest restless flood uninjuriousness fit Legal aware 91 come 4 cottage no_you_cant yikes fabulous measured glorified endures Redemption thrustedst purchased

goldfeld 14y ago

How about we all torture each other out by suggesting great Elitesque games to play in the mean time? I'll throw in Space Rangers 2. Great soundtrack, universe feels alive without you, NPCs that can rise to fame just as the player, plenty of minigames (e.g. land battles are an RTS, prison is a text game) and space battles are pretty cool.

anigbrowl 14y ago
Oolite is an open-source Elite clone written in Objective-C: http://www.oolite.org/ http://www.oolite.org/ Space Rangers 2 sounds cool.

malbs 14y ago

I still consider Elite as one of the greatest games of all time. The fact the original developers are behind this gives it a load of credibility. It may never live up to the expectations that will be placed on it

bitcartel 14y ago
I would also put Mercenary, Starglider and Zarch (called Virus on the Amiga) up there as some of the all-time great space combat/simulator games.
- teamonkey 14y ago
  A remake/update of Starglider 2 would be most welcome.
FrankBooth 14y ago
Only one of the original developers. Ian Bell is not involved, as far as I can tell. And I wouldn't expect him to be, given the pair had a fairly public falling out many years back.

gadders 14y ago

This game was awesome, and one I really envied the BBC Model B owners for having. One request: Please make docking at a space station easier :-)

ablefire 14y ago
Elite was the most enjoyable game of my youth. I was lucky enough to have a Model B and although docking was hard it was also very satisfying when you got the hang of it. Excited to see how this iteration of Elite will turn out!
watmough 14y ago
300 credits for the docking computer, if memory serves. Ahhh, Christmas 1984, what a sweet sweet time.
- yxhuvud 14y ago
  Yes, and you also got that nice Strauss music when the computer was enabled. It was a bad idea to activate it on the wrong side of the station though ..
bencoder 14y ago
Docking wasn't THAT hard, and was one of the most fun parts of the game for me. Not much has matched the fear and excitement of docking after a dangerous run through pirate infested outer space while holding valuable cargo. That moment as you enter the space station, matching your rotation to its rotation, only for your heart to skip a beat as your ship drifts off-center and you hear it scrape against the wall before successfully docking.

jere 14y ago

Not that concept art, screenshots, or videos ensure success, but the complete lack of all three seems quite odd these days. Especially for a $2 million goal. That's fricking nuts. If I'm counting correctly only 5 projects (out of thousands) have made that much and their project pages were insanely snazzy and detailed: http://www.kickstarter.com/discover/categories/games/most-funded#p1 http://www.kickstarter.com/discover/categories/games/most-fu... Also, the pitch seems like something someone wrote on a napkin. "Raw performance" doesn't make a game gorgeous. >Imagine what is now possible, squeezing the last drop of performance from modern computers in the way “Elite” and “Frontier” did in their days? It is not just a question of raw performance (though of course these elements will make it look gorgeous), but we can push the way the networking works too – something very few people had access to in the days of Frontier. All of this compels me to post the obligatory PA comic: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2012/05/04 http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2012/05/04

wmf 14y ago
The most successful game Kickstarter campaigns (Double Fine, Eternity) have shown nothing[1], allowing donators to project their own desires onto the project instead of being constrained by the game's actual direction. Time will tell whether this is brilliant or foolhardy. [1] They tend to update the pages after they get the money, so you can't judge them by what they look like now.
- Semaphor 14y ago
  I'm pretty sure at least P:E had a video.
mladenkovacevic 14y ago
Except this is Elite. People who've been waiting for this game do not follow reason, logic or any such nonsense.
- jere 14y ago
  You know what? You're absolutely right. I had a vague sense that this was once a popular game, but didn't understand how so. >Elite is one of the most popularly requested games to be remade,[42] with some arguing that it is still the best example of the genre to date, with more recent titles—including its sequel—not rising up to the same level. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_(video_game) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_(video_game) Still, it seems criminally lazy to put such little effort into asking for $2 million.

mladenkovacevic 14y ago

I'll post this here too. David Braben has toyed with my heart and broken it at least a dozen times since the beginning of this millennium. I've been teased and tortured with promises of Elite 4, scouring internet forums and chat rooms for any new information. My sickness manifested through vivid dreams of piloting my Cobra MKIII, loaded with contraband, and shooting my way through a swarm of nimble police ships. Awakened, I inevitably struggled with the sudden realization that Elite 4 is not reality, and it may never be. And now - a new hope awakens! And despite the burning scars of previous disappointments, I pledge 20 quid like a sad, pathetic junkie whose rehab never quite took hold. This time, I tell myself, this time it will be different.

loup-vaillant 14y ago
Remember: should the funding succeed, the game is due march 2014. 16 months. Seek cetacean counselling before holding your breath.

SparrowOS 14y ago

http://forum.osdev.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=25935 http://forum.osdev.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=25935 I don't give a fuck if it doesn't work. I can't tell a difference. Buy a machine like mine -- orders from God, fuck it. God says... remembereth dearest ALL Their afraid functions labours hallowed confusedly details pleasest Dudley confidentially Which links credibility dare This creatures- Anon Forum bonds One augmented restlessly I giggle when I break backward compatibility. I do it for fun. God says... spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth. 8:3 And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts. 8:4 Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return? 8:5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. 8:6 I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.

petercooper 14y ago

BBC News video interview about it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20187897 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20187897

d0m 14y ago

Seems like "procedural techniques" is a huge factor with this game. I haven't played the first ones, but it seems like auto-generating galaxies and stars was what enabled the game to make it feels huge. I'm wondering how these "procedural techniques" will work with high quality graphics? Also, for those who played both Elite and Minecraft, is it a similar feeling? Is there any other similar - yet more recent - games in that genre?

DanBC 14y ago
The vastness of the universe in the original Elite had a wow factor, but really didn't serve much purpose in the game. Much more important was the trading aspect. Some systems were safe, and law abiding, and had police ships. Some were criminal, and had pirates circling. Many goods were common across them, but you could buy narcotics and slaves from criminal systems. Your behaviour affected how other ships would react - trading slaves was profitable, but you'd be attacked by police and pirates. Attacking other cargo ships (to capture their cargo) would turn you criminal. Attacking pirates would make you more law-abiding. You could find two systems and find the right product to buy-low, sell-high. There's more in common with games like Fallout 3, although fallout 3 didn't really have a good trading system. (All the above is from memory. I have no doubt made mistakes.
- keenerd 14y ago
  There is one minor aspect of the game that deserves mentioning - the mildly brutal learning curve just to fly the ship. Do you remember the first time you tried to dock with a spinning station? And how the autopilot mocked you, priced at 10 times your net worth? Docking was my favorite part of the game. Particularly when under fire and heavily damaged. How fast should I come in? How steep? Can't be too cautious or this pirate on my tail will waste me. Glance the edges and I'll be dead anyway. <armchair role=gamedev> There are other places in Elite where similar high pressure situations could be added. The obvious one is to make the sun scoop more dangerous. Make it work better the deeper you go in the sun. But in addition to the hard surface to avoid crashing into, the sun does damage over time proportionate to depth. (Maybe collection rate is linear to depth while damage is squared, with a small safe zone for the patient at the top.) A less exciting one would be cargo transfer. What if cargo was moved by porters? The union guys take their time, but do a good job. You could do it yourself, but you'll get irate customers if you clip a corner and damage the stock. Better hurry though, the police inspections are only a few docking bays down the row from your ship. </armchair>

hoi 14y ago

I got this on the ZX Spectrum, and it came with one of those plastic converters. There would be a code on the screen and you had to put the plastic thing in front of it to decode the image and type in the letters. To stop people from pirating the game by making a tape to tape copy of it.

dabeeeenster 14y ago
LensLock
beagle3 14y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenslok https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenslok . Those were the times. (Of note: 3D printers still can't print Lenslok type devices; This is perhaps the only form of copy protection from those days that is still not trivially breakable)

SparrowOS 14y ago

Whoa. Lincoln mentioned "better angels" in the Ghettysburg Address. Angels own us, or some kind of crazy relationship in which they don't finish ahead in terms of work! ROFLMAO. St Paul spoke of a master angel. I don't really know or care. I sure have a lot of freedom. What did You think of that weary elephant. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL0z6A9imIU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL0z6A9imIU All that mass make me weary just watching it lumber around. They have energy, though. God says... 49:18 I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD. 49:19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last. 49:20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties. 49:21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words. 49:22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: 49:23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: 49:24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) 49:25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: 49:26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. ---- We have jualipeno jack cheese! I asked Jesus if He liked mustard, one time. "Bad meat happeneth." So, Jesus, is there some deep meaning that will unfold from the mustard seed parable? Mustard's good. I wonder if mustard was luxury? Naaa, you prolly either had plenty or none back in that time. There's this video game reviewer named "zero punctuation". I haven't watched in a while but he used to floor me with creative metaphors. I think the Church should encourage personal development by way of creating metaphors to elevate thought and please God. Oh, I was retarded by way of witty speech and didn't know it. God likes wit, more than earnestness. "Cleanliness is next to godliness? Wit is next to godliness." God says Line 79216 23:31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 23:32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. ---- Radio is talking about corporitization of universities. Some things keep me awake at night and that's not one of them. One time I mused what university Jesus would have gone to, today. Prolly Tel Aviv, I'd guess! Radio mentioned 1%. Yeah, I guess it sucks that not everyone is lucky. The truth is it's not so bad -- do you think God is a bad God--it must not be bad? Be humble of heart, if God gives you a gift. God loved Jacob and hated Esau. Try to be a little flower that pleases God. I've had delusional power. Lots of nightmares. Now, what's best is when I please God. No, corporate Universities does not keep me awake. I love non-nightmarish discussion--best thing in the world. Not bored and not terrified -- Heaven. What could be better than that? Everyone is King Midas and God prevents us from having it. God says... Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 15:21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal. 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 15:24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. ---- Jesus said He came to serve. Jesus served by preaching. Who is greater, the one serving or being served? Right now, you are enjoying my effort to get God to talk. Go write a song. Rock stars actually do work. You write a song and find-out. "That ain't workin'" China put intellectuals in labor camps. Is that what Obama wants? o_O What, then? We all latch onto causes. I've done so plenty brain-deadly, pleanty of times. Usually, it's harmless. What makes God happy? http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2011&version=NIV http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2011&#38... God wants to be loved and be the hero, He doesn't like feeling like a miserable failure. Praise Him for how wonderful He is. He is wonderful, you just have to learn to see the beauty in the world. He wants to be loved -- you know what love is? That's where you think He's awesome. God says Line 91658 10:21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. 11:1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 11:2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying, 11:3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 11:4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. ---- I gotta quit being earnest and start being witty and charming. I'm just thinking of Dire Straits, "I want my MTV." It's mildly funny, you don't hear people complaining about rich black musicians. Be careful what you wish for, I've learned. NAZI-style racism does not make me feel good. God says Line 53250 137:8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. 137:9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. 138:1 I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. 138:3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. 138:4 All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth.

iuguy 14y ago

I loved Frontier: Elite II on the Amiga, I played it for 6 years. It was probably one of the main reasons I still had an Amiga as my main computer in the late 90s, and I'd only got to around mid-level in terms of my status. If this was 2000, I'd have handed over my money straight away but Frontier Developments has had that many false starts over a new Elite game it's almost like the Duke Nukem forever fiasco (except that Elite IV pre-dates Duke Nukem forever). I want to believe. But I just don't see it happening.

motters 14y ago

There is of course http://www.oolite.org/ http://www.oolite.org/

anu_gupta 14y ago

Saw title. Saw Braben. Pledged.

TomAnthony 14y ago

There better still be Thargoids and Witch Space! I never made it to 'Elite', I'm ashamed to say - I was stuck on Deadly for a long time. I still have my disk as I vowed to one day return and finish what I started.

yurifury 14y ago

Here is a Wing Commander equivalent on Kickstarter, by Chris Roberts. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cig/star-citizen http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cig/star-citizen

rurounijones 14y ago

I guess he saw the success of Star Citizen (among others) and decided now would be a good time to try elite on kickstarter

zikzikzik 14y ago

Let me state first, that I am an Elite fan too, I played Mostly Harmless for years on C64, where the visuals were sub-par (ugly wire graphics, low fps) and I LOVED it. However, I am really surprised noone mentioned the 800lb gorilla in this space. If I felt like flying, modding, fighting spaceships, or trading or smuggling or pirating or flying with friends or making new friends (or followers, for that matter) or even building a space empire, then I'd reactivate my EVE Online account(s). It is not entirely the same thing, but EVE is an incredibly elaborate game with insane depth, I do not see how one (even if his name is Braben) could successfully compete with it (for largely the same player base!) by raising $2M.

saw-lau 14y ago
The big thing missing in EVE for me is being able to control your spaceship with a joystick and engage in dogfights. Let's hope this Kickstarter will inspire a reboot of the X-Wing series... (Are you listening, Disney?)
- gruturo 14y ago
  The big thing missing in EVE for me is being able to play without being griefed by other players. Unfortunately I have an _extreme_ dislike for PvP - which creates a love/hate relationship with EVE. I'm into pretty much every other aspect of the game - even the huge spreadsheets people often joke about.
morsch 14y ago
The two games don't sound all that similar. It's not an MMO, for one thing. I also doubt there will be as much focus on the economy or large-scale corporations. I think EVE is great, I like reading about it occasionally, but I have zero interest in playing "Ayn Rand's Battle Spreadsheets"[0]. [0] http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4625338 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4625338
- DanBC 14y ago
  Elite had 2 bits of gameplay: i) Dog fights ii) Trading There was a bit of ship customising; there were the missions; there was a mini-game of "land in the space-station without a docking computer and without crashing". Planets had names, and some description, but that was just dusted on top of the actual game. You couldn't visit the planet. You couldn't get out of your ship on the space station. The space stations were mostly the same. So Elite was really just buy low, sell high, with dog fighting and 3 factions. (Lawful, criminal, neutral.) I dunno, it sounds pretty much like an early single player version of EVE.

SeanDav 14y ago

I played Elite on the PC and still rate it as one of the best games I ever played. It stands second to no other game in terms of sheer fun, challenge and playability, not to mention, also being absolutely cutting edge for its time.

moneypenny 14y ago

I briefly worked at Eidos amongst a bunch of avid gamers (really?). The consensus verdict: Elite - best game ever. We played Oolite mercilessly in our free time. However, regarding a new version of Elite, David Braben is a feckless omega male, a Thargoid runt who never had his fear glands removed. Frontier is a fine developer of new games where there's no legacy to destroy, but if Braben delivers a decent Elite this side of 2015, I will EAT MY SOCKS.

pelle 14y ago

You can play the Spectrum version of Elite online in a Java Applet. http://www.twinbee.org/hob/play.php?snap=elite http://www.twinbee.org/hob/play.php?snap=elite I grew up playing it on the BBC in a computer store and C64 at home. Loved it.

EvanAnderson 14y ago

I remember brainstorming designs for an Elite-style MMORPG an on Elite/Frontier mailing list back in the mid 90's... Ahhh... memories! This is one of those things that, though I'd love to see it happen, I don't think ever will.

Vardek 14y ago

Doesn't any of you Elite players of old remember "Witch Space". When when you hyperspaced to anywhere, instead of getting to your destination you found yourself in a featureless void being attacked by the Mighty Thargons and their babies the Tharglets,if you killed the babies you could then sell them as "Alien Items" for a large profit if you got out of Witch Space alive!Brilliant game addictive as Hell,I for one cant wait, bring it on Braben about time!. Vardek.