Elite / Frontier Best version of Elite (classic)?

aster

aster
I know there has been lots of discussion and due to reasons based purely on nostalgia, some have rated one of the "wire-frame" versions of Elite as the "best one ever."

To start off on a more serious note, let's assume that the best one will be based on proper graphics (so forget the wire-frame versions) as well as the best gameplay - by which I'd say game immersion and AI should be the main factors.

Which version do you think comes out tops? Acorn Archimedes Elite? Or maybe the Amiga version?
 

Alien

Alien
"so lets forget about wire frame versions"?

No, I don't think so. I think there will be many who will agree with me as well.
(Alien notices the very loud silence, but that is normal around here)

When I played Elite on the Commodore 64 in 1985, graphics then were nowhere near the quality we take for granted now. If you wanted "proper graphics" as you put it, you had to play a platform scroller or a shooter game.

Yes, Elite was wire frame graphics, but our imagination filled in the lack of "filled in graphics". If you cannot imagine how you could do that, then maybe you have taken "filled in graphics" too much for granted.

To merely dissmiss Elite because it didn't have pretty graphics we have become used to, is foolish at best and idiotic at worst. In 50 years time, will you dissmiss [insert classic game of this generation] simply because it wasn't in 3D?

Best Elite game of the series? Elite. Why? It had the best "game Immersion" and "AI" of it's day.
Best version? I only played the C64 version, so I can't comment on the other versions.
And I don't mind if you disagree with me.
 
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tvrobyn

tvrobyn
Steve O B Have said:
Wire frame all the way... All the rest are just pale imitators with colouring in pens.
Click to expand...

Had no idea you were a purist!!
Always loved the spectrum 128 version of old Elite.don't know why but it seemed to me that the old Cobra had real weight and punch when flying a keyboard.
 

aster

aster
Alien said:
Yes, Elite was wire frame graphics, but our imagination filled in the lack of "filled in graphics". If you cannot imagine how you could do that, then maybe you have taken "filled in graphics" too much for granted.
...

Best Elite game of the series? Elite. Why? It had the best "game Immersion" and "AI" of it's day.
Best version? I only played the C64 version, so I can't comment on the other versions.
And I don't mind if you disagree with me.
Click to expand...

To start off I meant which port (computer version) of the original Elite, so no FE in this thread. :)

I too played the C64 version and it's amazing how advanced the game was for its time, and how little things like a booklet with a story or the instruction manual meant for us gamers.

In a way playing games then was like reading a book, your imagination played along with what you saw on the screen (wire-frame instead of words albeit), and everything intertwined into many magical moments that today's games no longer deliver.

Having said that, I think that we should look at the most advanced port of the original Elite today, even though all ports of the game are not going to be as advanced graphically as new releases nowadays. I've heard that the AI in the Acorn Archimedes version is second to none, so even though I have never played this port I would bet blindly that it could be the best one out there.

Has anyone played it? What about the NES version? It's said to be quite good because of the unique console controls.
 

Sir.Tj

The Moderator who shall not be Blamed....
Volunteer Moderator
Sir.Tj
Agree with Turwitt,

FFE on PC, It was rushed and bugged but it pushes all the right buttons for me.
 

Alien

Alien
aster said:
I know there has been lots of discussion and due to reasons based purely on nostalgia, some have rated one of the "wire-frame" versions of Elite as the "best one ever."

To start off on a more serious note, let's assume that the best one will be based on proper graphics (so forget the wire-frame versions) as well as the best gameplay - by which I'd say game immersion and AI should be the main factors.

Which version do you think comes out tops? Acorn Archimedes Elite? Or maybe the Amiga version?
Click to expand...
aster said:
To start off I meant which port (computer version) of the original Elite, so no FE in this thread. :)

I too played the C64 version and it's amazing how advanced the game was for its time, and how little things like a booklet with a story or the instruction manual meant for us gamers.

In a way playing games then was like reading a book, your imagination played along with what you saw on the screen (wire-frame instead of words albeit), and everything intertwined into many magical moments that today's games no longer deliver.

Having said that, I think that we should look at the most advanced port of the original Elite today, even though all ports of the game are not going to be as advanced graphically as new releases nowadays. I've heard that the AI in the Acorn Archimedes version is second to none, so even though I have never played this port I would bet blindly that it could be the best one out there.

Has anyone played it? What about the NES version? It's said to be quite good because of the unique console controls.
Click to expand...
Why not just list all the one* we can vote for? :S

* not a typo
 

Spacegamer

Spacegamer
aster said:
I know there has been lots of discussion and due to reasons based purely on nostalgia, some have rated one of the "wire-frame" versions of Elite as the "best one ever."

To start off on a more serious note, let's assume that the best one will be based on proper graphics (so forget the wire-frame versions) as well as the best gameplay - by which I'd say game immersion and AI should be the main factors.

Which version do you think comes out tops? Acorn Archimedes Elite? Or maybe the Amiga version?
Click to expand...

Well just looking at the 16 bit game undoubtedly the Archimedes version is considered to be the best, remember this game was written from the ground up unlike the Amiga/ST which are basically just coloured in version of the original game.
I don’t know if Elite plus made any improvements to the basic game play or how well it compares to arc Elite?.

Always been really surprised at how well the Nes version of the game play.
 

tvrobyn

tvrobyn
Just found this - http://www.oocities.org/ze_aks/
Its a (possibly unfinished) new Elite clone, called Mission Elite.
Havent tried it though.
Theres an interesting looking star wars game there and an unfinished Trek game.

Ok, played it. Not that great. The trek game had promise, as it seems the coder was going to recreate the classic shows in an interactive adventure.didn't get past the intro of 'The Cage'. Shame.
 
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Geraldine

Geraldine
Polls

Alien said:
Why not just list all the one* we can vote for? :S

* not a typo
Click to expand...

Just an Original Elite Poll Alien? Well, there was this poll http://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=884&highlight=vote were you could vote for different Elite versions, but it is closed. Maybe it could be opened up again by the mods?

In the meantime, I also started a poll, with options for wireframe and later Elite versions, but also included FE2 and FFE, so maybe you would need to start another. http://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1470&highlight=vote
 

Steve

Steve
I never liked the Amiga or Atari versions of Elite. Don't know why; just seemed to be lacking something. My enthusiasm was re-kindled when FE2 came out :)
 

aster

aster
Spacegamer said:
Well just looking at the 16 bit game undoubtedly the Archimedes version is considered to be the best, remember this game was written from the ground up unlike the Amiga/ST which are basically just coloured in version of the original game.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I think my efforts will be focused on somehow getting the Archimedes version to run on my Mac this year. I really want to give the original Elite a go, and as you mentioned the Archimedes version (written from the ground up) seems to be regarded as the best one out there.

Spacegamer said:
Always been really surprised at how well the Nes version of the game play.
Click to expand...

Have you played the original on a NES or via an emulator?
 

Spacegamer

Spacegamer
aster said:
Have you played the original on a NES or via an emulator?
Click to expand...

Emulators in both cases, if you are using a Mac you might have a hard time finding an emulator that will run the Nes versions of the game as there are only a couple of them that will do it on the PC.
It also best to configure a joypad as using the keyboard is next to useless.
 
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