For me my favorite memory happened when I first started playing Elite. I had been flying around in my sidewinder, when out of no where a Cobra Mk3 drops in right on top of me. The Cmdr flying it immediately deployed hardpoints and flew up to my cockpit, hovering what seemed like inches away. His ship looked intimidating from that close up, the size difference very prevalent. I knew if he attacked me I would likely die, but I didn’t want to back down. Right as he started to attack me, another commander in a python dropped in, the biggest ship by far I had seen at that point, he saw I was under attack and fought off the Cobra. He and I voicecommed after that, he taught me how to play the game and defend myself. That one experience shaped my entire view on the game and its community. Ever since then i’ve been helping out new players, trying to give back to the community. Kinda funny how the first moments you have in a game can shape your entire experience.
Celebrating 35 years of Elite!
- Thread starter Stephen Benedetti
- Start date
First time I played Elite was on a BBC Model B at my first school sometime in the 80s. I remember wanting to buy it for my Acorn Electron at home. Can't remember if I ever got it, but I do know I played Elite on almost every home computer I ever had and was the envy of my friends because I was good at docking.
My fave memory has got to be playing Elite+ on the Amiga. I was weeks into a game and I think I was on a mission to get a Military Laser or maybe a Cloaking Device, and I got trapped in Tharg Space. A few friends were there watching TV while I spent ages fighting the Thargoids. They all lost interest because I was fighting them so long and agreed I should just die and start back at the last station.
After about an hour of constant fighting, I destroyed the last Thargoid and got back to normal space with much adulation from my friends, living up to the Legendary name Commander Jameson.
Surviving Tharg Space with witnesses has got to be my fave memory of Elite.
My fave memory has got to be playing Elite+ on the Amiga. I was weeks into a game and I think I was on a mission to get a Military Laser or maybe a Cloaking Device, and I got trapped in Tharg Space. A few friends were there watching TV while I spent ages fighting the Thargoids. They all lost interest because I was fighting them so long and agreed I should just die and start back at the last station.
After about an hour of constant fighting, I destroyed the last Thargoid and got back to normal space with much adulation from my friends, living up to the Legendary name Commander Jameson.
Surviving Tharg Space with witnesses has got to be my fave memory of Elite.
Hello all, CMDR Unionhawk here, my fondest memory comes from very early on in my bounty hunting career.
The year was 3301. I was an up-and-coming bounty hunter, having upgraded my Eagle to a Viper Mk. III. I didn't have a whole lot of money to outfit the Viper, but I was proud to have her, and felt that I could use her to get the money for outfitting.
I decided to take an assassination mission. I don't remember who exactly wanted who dead, but it didn't really matter to me; they were going to pay me more than a hundred thousand credits for it, so I gladly took the job (that was a lot of money for me back then).
I jumped to where the mission report said the target should be, and I asked one of my bounty hunter friends for some tips on how to find the guy. With his help, I found my target, an Elite Anaconda pilot. I moved to engage.
A purple projectile flew past me (at the time, I didn't recognize it as a plasma ball). I put all my power into weapons and started firing my lasers and multicannons at my target.
No problem, I've been in this situation as a bounty hunter several times, I'm sure I'll be fine once my shields come back up
Ok, not an issue, my point defense will--
Abort abort. I put all energy into engines and boosted away.
I didn't have much time. 3%... 2%... 1%...
I escaped with my life, but it wasn't over. I had about 4 minutes of emergency oxygen remaining. I looked for the nearest station. The closest I could find was Gehry Port, an outpost not too far away. Will outposts refill my emergency oxygen? Do I need to find a larger starport? I frantically messaged my friend. "WILL OUTPOSTS REFILL O2?"
"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA. No idea. This is better than I expected!"
I landed at Gehry Port and entered the hangar.
I learned the hard way that day: don't take on more than you can handle. I think the ones who hand out these sorts of missions have learned that too since then; now they at least let CMDRs know what they're getting into, rather than letting any Novice jump in.
The year was 3301. I was an up-and-coming bounty hunter, having upgraded my Eagle to a Viper Mk. III. I didn't have a whole lot of money to outfit the Viper, but I was proud to have her, and felt that I could use her to get the money for outfitting.
I decided to take an assassination mission. I don't remember who exactly wanted who dead, but it didn't really matter to me; they were going to pay me more than a hundred thousand credits for it, so I gladly took the job (that was a lot of money for me back then).
I jumped to where the mission report said the target should be, and I asked one of my bounty hunter friends for some tips on how to find the guy. With his help, I found my target, an Elite Anaconda pilot. I moved to engage.
A purple projectile flew past me (at the time, I didn't recognize it as a plasma ball). I put all my power into weapons and started firing my lasers and multicannons at my target.
SHIELDS OFFLINE - TAKING DAMAGENo problem, I've been in this situation as a bounty hunter several times, I'm sure I'll be fine once my shields come back up
INCOMING MISSILEOk, not an issue, my point defense will--
CANOPY BREACHEDAbort abort. I put all energy into engines and boosted away.
FRAME SHIFT DRIVE CHARGINGHULL INTEGRITY CRITICALI didn't have much time. 3%... 2%... 1%...
4...3...2...1...ENGAGE
I escaped with my life, but it wasn't over. I had about 4 minutes of emergency oxygen remaining. I looked for the nearest station. The closest I could find was Gehry Port, an outpost not too far away. Will outposts refill my emergency oxygen? Do I need to find a larger starport? I frantically messaged my friend. "WILL OUTPOSTS REFILL O2?"
"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA. No idea. This is better than I expected!"
CABIN PRESSURE ALERT - ATMOSPHERIC FAILUREI landed at Gehry Port and entered the hangar.
ATMOSPHERE RESTOREDI learned the hard way that day: don't take on more than you can handle. I think the ones who hand out these sorts of missions have learned that too since then; now they at least let CMDRs know what they're getting into, rather than letting any Novice jump in.
I think getting to Sag A* for the first time. Experiencing that amazing and breath taking in its own way.
It's 1984, I'm 16 and one of only 4 kids in my school doing Computer Studies 'O' and 'A' levels.
Out of the blue the Computer teacher asks me to help set up a new computer lab. 30 brand spanking new BBC micro's and my first thoughts....How can I get Elite on there!
Using my best trader skills, I negotiate the volunteering of my time in exchange for permission to run Elite - Outside of School hours of course.
Oh the lunch hours spent trading, the hours of hyper space waiting for Thargoids to appear, such happy memories.
And kids wonder why we look back and say School days are the best times of your life....
CMDR: ThePolemides
Out of the blue the Computer teacher asks me to help set up a new computer lab. 30 brand spanking new BBC micro's and my first thoughts....How can I get Elite on there!
Using my best trader skills, I negotiate the volunteering of my time in exchange for permission to run Elite - Outside of School hours of course.
Oh the lunch hours spent trading, the hours of hyper space waiting for Thargoids to appear, such happy memories.
And kids wonder why we look back and say School days are the best times of your life....
CMDR: ThePolemides
Turning my first consignment of slaves into fertilizer because I didn't know I needed to fit a cargo bay life support module as well in Frontier: Elite 2.
CMDR Yoshimitzu
CMDR Yoshimitzu
My best memory is the day our wing ESCA star helping the new players. If you need help call ESCA.
Cmdr Pasion Estelar.
Cmdr Pasion Estelar.
Happy birthday Frontier! My favorite memories are split between trying Elite Dangerous for the first time and thinking wow, I've never seen anything like this! From buying a vive for Elite dangerous when they came out, putting it on in my cutter and thinking wow, I've never seen anything like this! From flying to sag A and thinking wow, It's much further in real space than I ever imagined and from playing CQC. I held on to the excitement for years, dreaming big about a CQC update... race mode matches, more players, more maps, maps over the ground and over many of the countless assets in Elite Dangerous etc. That's still a thing which I look forward to, after playing for over 4,700 hours in nearly 5 years and having spent thousands making an elite dangerous immersive experience for enjoying it as much as I can:
Previously 2x Saitek x53 pro's which broke due to low quality / wear and tear, now a Thrustmaster TWCS and FCS HOTAS, Saitek foot pedals, TrackIR, Voice attack, 4k 55" TV gaming screen for Elite + a 28" Samsung touchscreen with my Elite Dangerous Cutter in a starport along with Rainmeter touch panels under all the image buttons for my ED & graphics apps on my desktop, 7.1 sound inc kor-fx vest, subpac s2 and m2 and the Vive I mentioned. Oh, I've just bought a secretlabs omega chair and Monstertech HOTAS mounts so I can attach them to the chair soon! I'm not rich but Elite has given me a hobby to save towards each month! Thank you Frontier. I never dreamt of a set up like this at all. o7
Previously 2x Saitek x53 pro's which broke due to low quality / wear and tear, now a Thrustmaster TWCS and FCS HOTAS, Saitek foot pedals, TrackIR, Voice attack, 4k 55" TV gaming screen for Elite + a 28" Samsung touchscreen with my Elite Dangerous Cutter in a starport along with Rainmeter touch panels under all the image buttons for my ED & graphics apps on my desktop, 7.1 sound inc kor-fx vest, subpac s2 and m2 and the Vive I mentioned. Oh, I've just bought a secretlabs omega chair and Monstertech HOTAS mounts so I can attach them to the chair soon! I'm not rich but Elite has given me a hobby to save towards each month! Thank you Frontier. I never dreamt of a set up like this at all. o7
CMDR Caliber_az Format PC
It was the Mid 80's and I had just acquired a C-64. Not even sure how I heard about the game as I lived in a very small town in western Canada. Starting the game for the first time and I was amazed. I felt like a real space pilot. Trying to figure out how to upgrade stuff was a bit of a challenge as I thought I had to do trade and figuring out all the prices at a bunch of stations was a chore. This and Flight Simulator gave me wings to go to places I could only imagine before.
Caliber_az
It was the Mid 80's and I had just acquired a C-64. Not even sure how I heard about the game as I lived in a very small town in western Canada. Starting the game for the first time and I was amazed. I felt like a real space pilot. Trying to figure out how to upgrade stuff was a bit of a challenge as I thought I had to do trade and figuring out all the prices at a bunch of stations was a chore. This and Flight Simulator gave me wings to go to places I could only imagine before.
Caliber_az
I think my best memory is UA day. Mai 4th 3301, when convoys with UAs were spotted and the first UAs were liberated.
It was really hectic to play the game, follow the forum and watch the videos, at the same time.
I didn’t catch one my self, but it was a great day of gaming and meta gaming.
I registrered on the forum, the day after.
Commander Han Zen
It was really hectic to play the game, follow the forum and watch the videos, at the same time.
I didn’t catch one my self, but it was a great day of gaming and meta gaming.
I registrered on the forum, the day after.
Commander Han Zen
I remember the first time i saw trailer for Elite: Dangerous. It was like a dream. Dream that had come true. The first time I sat down to cockpit of sidewinder, I wasn't even trying to take off, I was just looking around and enjoying the view of a station. When I managed to leave the station (just before time limit) it was time to jump. And it was that moment when i hyperjumped (well moment it was quite long, my pc was bad at the time). I was amazed. For like 5 minuts i was just jumping to random locations. It was that times when i couldn't fit to station entrance with sidewinder, accidentally hitting TAB while docking or turnig around figuring out where I am suppose to go... simply the beginner fails, that warms my hearth now and then.
Commander MICHAL82_CZ, thanks for all the joy.
Commander MICHAL82_CZ, thanks for all the joy.
"My most memorable experience? Well, it has got be the time that I saw my first battle between an imp Majestic Interdictor and a fed Farragut. I mean, everyone in my wing heard the rumors of something like that being comissioned, new class of battlecruisers and all but, the first time? I wasn't prepared.
The sound of the FSD tearing the continuum while entering the system, the very moment when both battlecruisers start exchanging fire across all battle stations...all the while from a (very long and safe) distance inside my minuscule Sidewinder, few smuggled void opals in the hold...
The only thing that I could hear was the soft murmur of my power core in contrast with the silence of the void.
Watching in silence that incredible display of firepower with only the void by my side to bear witness was the most haunting and frightening experience of my life.
That's Elite Dangerous for me."
- CMDR Voltagor
The sound of the FSD tearing the continuum while entering the system, the very moment when both battlecruisers start exchanging fire across all battle stations...all the while from a (very long and safe) distance inside my minuscule Sidewinder, few smuggled void opals in the hold...
The only thing that I could hear was the soft murmur of my power core in contrast with the silence of the void.
Watching in silence that incredible display of firepower with only the void by my side to bear witness was the most haunting and frightening experience of my life.
That's Elite Dangerous for me."
- CMDR Voltagor
Scrimping and saving in my cobra. I'd finally gotten enough slack that I felt I could get a luxury: my first docking computer!
I got my friend (and co-pilot) to come over so I could show it off. Loaded up with all my credits in precious metals. Went to the receiving starport, my nemesis the Coriolis.
Hit the button. Started nattering to my best friend. He said "is it supposed to do that?" As it matched rotation with the station, and flew directly into it. The back of it. Perfectly aligned with the slot on the far side.
Boom
Grumble grumble stupid Coriolis murderers. And yet, we persisted, until we had a scary ship with great lines of light lasers that could handle a thargoid. And I made Elite.
But I never forgot the accursed stations of Doom.
--
Commander Seshemw
One-time cheshire cat...
I got my friend (and co-pilot) to come over so I could show it off. Loaded up with all my credits in precious metals. Went to the receiving starport, my nemesis the Coriolis.
Hit the button. Started nattering to my best friend. He said "is it supposed to do that?" As it matched rotation with the station, and flew directly into it. The back of it. Perfectly aligned with the slot on the far side.
Boom
Grumble grumble stupid Coriolis murderers. And yet, we persisted, until we had a scary ship with great lines of light lasers that could handle a thargoid. And I made Elite.
But I never forgot the accursed stations of Doom.
--
Commander Seshemw
One-time cheshire cat...
Lets go right back to version 1. I got the game the day it came out, so there was very little info on how to play it. The first task was to get the ship in through the slot in the station. It took me a whole night until I succeeded. Later in the game, I can remember shooting into the station, then all the cops would come charging out of the slot to deal justice, but I could sit there all day blasting them to smithereens until I got bored. The best thing, though, that would also be useful in the present version, especially for PvP and gankers, were the smart bombs that obliterated everything in your instance (except you) at the press of a button. I went on to be one of the first ever Elite pilots. I got the badge and certificate.
CMDR D8veh
CMDR D8veh
My 1st and best memory is playing on the original game, on the BBC Micro, around a friends and gaining enough money for the docking computer, and the 1st time using it, the music was just awesome, right up till the point the police decided to launch out of the station and attack you for carrying illegal goods 
..
Fun times...
Just keep up the good work FDev..
thanks
CMDR: Deadsky
..Fun times...
Just keep up the good work FDev..
thanks
CMDR: Deadsky
Lets go right back to version 1. I got the game the day it came out, so there was very little info on how to play it. The first task was to get the ship in through the slot in the station. It took me a whole night until I succeeded. Later in the game, I can remember shooting into the station, then all the cops would come charging out of the slot to deal justice, but I could sit there all day blasting them to smithereens until I got bored. The best thing, though, that would also be useful in the present version, especially for PvP and gankers, were the smart bombs that obliterated everything in your instance (except you) at the press of a button. I went on to be one of the first ever Elite pilots. I got the badge and certificate.
CMDR D8veh
Your badge is in better condition than mine
From years ago I remember hopping into a longer ranged eagle to pick up 1 million of bounties from the next system after a few hours of RES site hunting.
.. and lo.. i spy 3 players; who shout "which side are you on..."
While I cogitate this question for the 2 seconds it took for them to interdict me ( really! i was looking for the comms key)
They open fire ... like hey nice to meet you too. I chase the side winder a little but they hammered me.
It's not that I was bumped off that annoid me. It was that they asked a question, which usually means a conversation is starting. Lasers are a statement.. not a question!
imagines they hide contraband on the hulk of my ship to give them an alibi
CMDR CyFur
addendum:
Nearly forgot .. I LOST the freaking bounties#$%#$^^%$%^ .. the eagle can burn to the ground .. that bounty money loss reeeally hurt.
oh and an edit:
When back in the day one of us had the original game and we as a group had played many an hour on that old machine .. we were all nearing ELITE level... but still at dangerous or deadly..
... do not jam the floppy game disk in so hard that it bends in the drive.. seriously.
.. and lo.. i spy 3 players; who shout "which side are you on..."
While I cogitate this question for the 2 seconds it took for them to interdict me ( really! i was looking for the comms key)
They open fire ... like hey nice to meet you too. I chase the side winder a little but they hammered me.
It's not that I was bumped off that annoid me. It was that they asked a question, which usually means a conversation is starting. Lasers are a statement.. not a question!
imagines they hide contraband on the hulk of my ship to give them an alibi
CMDR CyFur
addendum:
Nearly forgot .. I LOST the freaking bounties#$%#$^^%$%^ .. the eagle can burn to the ground .. that bounty money loss reeeally hurt.
oh and an edit:
When back in the day one of us had the original game and we as a group had played many an hour on that old machine .. we were all nearing ELITE level... but still at dangerous or deadly..
... do not jam the floppy game disk in so hard that it bends in the drive.. seriously.
Last edited:
It was those stolen moments in big school years 3 & 4+ (now classed as year 9+) where I could find a BBC B with a disk drive (DD) that I could use (the school library had one with a DD and a prestel connection!!)
I so remember playing Elite for the DD at lunch times and spare periods. Although I had a ZX Spectrum 48k at home (Arghhh Lenslok) the BBC B version was by far the best.
I've recently bought a BBC B+64K with a rPI co pro (does all the acorn ones), so will be able to run the Executive tube version.
Although My vote goes to a chap call Roy, who has the below, I believe all 31 version ever released.
I so remember playing Elite for the DD at lunch times and spare periods. Although I had a ZX Spectrum 48k at home (Arghhh Lenslok) the BBC B version was by far the best.
I've recently bought a BBC B+64K with a rPI co pro (does all the acorn ones), so will be able to run the Executive tube version.
Although My vote goes to a chap call Roy, who has the below, I believe all 31 version ever released.