I'm 54. I knew of Elite back in the day. I didn't play it until 2017 though.
I was a 'simmer' -- racing sims, jet/prop/helo sims, sub sims and that sort of thing mostly. But I'm also a gamer, so plenty of shooters, sports games, RPGs and wargames too. Everything from Falcon 4, to the Grigsby games, to Grand Prix Legends, to Divinity Original Sin, FIFA, Subnautica, Deus Ex..... The works.
In 2017 I saw friends playing Elite, having a great time. I posted a thread in a different forum wondering which space game would be right for me. The concensus based on my criteria was Elite. So I bought it and really took to it.
It appeals to me on a number of levels. It takes advantage of my good kit (Cougar, Crosswinds, Track IR) which gives it sim cred. It's way different than the other games I play. The notion of space flight, true six-dimensional movement, was a paradigm shift for me after being subjected to things like gravity and uni-directional thrust for so many years.
I knew little of space, which is honestly still true, but Elite has taught me much. I won't go in to all of the things that appeal to me about the game, but the sense of wonder and scale was a big draw for me. And what I call 'seamanship', the routine operation of the ship, especially in portside operations, is infinitely appealing.
Not sure if I can describe it well, but I am in awe of the speed and acceleration we achieve in this game. The way the ships' speed continues to double over itself as you accelerate. Or watch a planet or star recede over my shoulder as my ship gains pace at a fantastic rate. I know it's just a game, but I don't necessarily treat it that way when I'm playing. I AM a starship commander, immersed in the world. And watching a massive planet or sun retreat the way they do is awesome.
