Elite / Frontier Ept

[Rainbird Rich]

Some of the older players in here might vaguely remember that way back in the late 1980s, a 3D Space game was being developed under the tongue-in-cheek working title of EPT for the ST and Amiga. The game would have been published by Rainbird.

Well, 18 years after the game was finally cancelled, you can now have a look at an unfinished development version from February 1988 for the Atari ST. The game was being coded by Adrian Stephens and Andy Beveridge (who went on to do Cybercon III and Interphase to name but two games) and was designed by Ricardo Pinto (who helped code the Spectrum version of Elite, as well as Gyron and Hive).

To see the unfinished EPT, please pop over to my web site, which is also celebrating its 5th anniversary!

 

[Steve O B Have]

Some of the older players in here might vaguely remember that way back in the late 1980s, a 3D Space game was being developed under the tongue-in-cheek working title of EPT for the ST and Amiga. The game would have been published by Rainbird.

Well, 18 years after the game was finally cancelled, you can now have a look at an unfinished development version from February 1988 for the Atari ST. The game was being coded by Adrian Stephens and Andy Beveridge (who went on to do Cybercon III and Interphase to name but two games) and was designed by Ricardo Pinto (who helped code the Spectrum version of Elite, as well as Gyron and Hive).

To see the unfinished EPT, please pop over to my web site, which is also celebrating its 5th anniversary!

Woo look at the fancy pants solid graphics!!! Would've been cool - I'd hate to know how many really good games have died because of being cancelled.

 

[Rainbird Rich]

Woo look at the fancy pants solid graphics!!! Would've been cool - I'd hate to know how many really good games have died because of being cancelled.

You have to remember that EPT was designed and being coded in 1987/88 when Elite still hadn't appeared on the ST or Amiga and there were very few 3D space games around on either machine.

If you look at EPT and then look at 'Interphase' you can imagine how things might have turned out had it actually been finished.

 

[Rainbird Rich]

You have to remember that EPT was designed and being coded in 1987/88 when Elite still hadn't appeared on the ST or Amiga and there were very few 3D space games around on either machine.

If you look at EPT and then look at 'Interphase' you can imagine how things might have turned out had it actually been finished.

It will be interesting to discover what other people think of the development version and of the intended game design. As I say on my web site, EPT was probably too ambitious for the ST/Amiga. It would have been great on a PC though...

 

[djbully]

Hmm I do remember the firebird/silverbird range, the game I really remember from them was Starglider.... Used to play that quite a lot, for some reason !

 

[Rainbird Rich]

It will be interesting to discover what other people think of the development version and of the intended game design. As I say on my web site, EPT was probably too ambitious for the ST/Amiga. It would have been great on a PC though...

Has anyone in here downlad EPT? If so, anyone got any comments on the version or on the spec?

 

[Steve O B Have]

Nah - I wasn't overly inspired to do so. It reminded me visually of Starglider which was a pretty cool game in it's own right.

It also reminded me of an old Acorn Archimedes game that I wasted my hard earned babysitting money one (many years ago) that was elite style but you were in a submarine. It was really badly implimented and held none of the interest of Elite at all. I forget the name of it now.

 

[ptm97]

Nah - I wasn't overly inspired to do so. It reminded me visually of Starglider which was a pretty cool game in it's own right.

It also reminded me of an old Acorn Archimedes game that I wasted my hard earned babysitting money one (many years ago) that was elite style but you were in a submarine. It was really badly implimented and held none of the interest of Elite at all. I forget the name of it now.

UIM I believe. Never played it just remember the name.

 

[Steve O B Have]

UIM I believe. Never played it just remember the name.

Amazing memory - that was it exactly - very poor attempt at an Elite clone.