Just had to mention this. I'm 44 and have been gaming on a pc since the beginning of pc games. I remember elite so well. BUT! Is it just me or does everyone remember thinking. "Wow this is awesome! the ship looks so cool and space is like real." "Man I like the graphics." After downloading it and looking at it again I'm like Really? I could actually play this. A flying wire frame that you can see through LOL. So funny how we remember things. Tried to play the first flight simulator the other day also and wow. Also remember the first apache game for ibm. actually had graphics and colors but was still mostly triangles and boxes but you could tell what was what.
Elite 1984 Flashback
- Thread starter ronin516
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It's relative perception. At the time it felt so awesome because it was at the cutting edge of what could be done. Your imagination in game would also have added to the feeling. Of course you are now looking back from an era where you are spoilt with graphics so it is difficult to recapture feelings other than nostalgia.
I remember going through some old games recently and reading things on the box like 'amazing graphics', 'realistic' etc. At the time it felt it but now it makes you chuckle whilst recalling fond memories!
Imagination played a big part back in the day. Watching Isinona's videos I can see that same imagination at play, where others may be bored at the lack of 'content'; gaming is as much as what you bring to the experience. Then and now, although now the graphics are so 
the imagination muscles are not used as much.
the imagination muscles are not used as much.
I got to computers via arcade games in the early 80s, so most micro games (and most micros) were a bit ‘meh’ by my 9-year old standards. Apparently I have an eye for detail, because I can still see the aliasing, inaccuracies and polygons even in modern games. To reuse the popular ED phrase, it breaks my immersion.
The games that stayed with me weren't games that tried to have realistic graphics, they were games that worked as a medium for my imagination and/or had captivating plots.
To put the OP in the reverse perspective, wow, aren't computers and computer graphics absolutely amazing these days? It really boggles the mind.
The games that stayed with me weren't games that tried to have realistic graphics, they were games that worked as a medium for my imagination and/or had captivating plots.
To put the OP in the reverse perspective, wow, aren't computers and computer graphics absolutely amazing these days? It really boggles the mind.
Tar Stone
Banned
The first flight sim I played was on the zx81. It consisted of a couple of gauges, a horizon line, somewhat of a runway, all running in 16k of ram. I can't have been more than 9 or 10 years old but I was fully immersed in it.
Now I boot up fsx with huge clouds and weather, gorgeous scenery, physics, air traffic... and still I don't get the same... otherworldliness.
An extreme example I know - I feel we've gained so much but lost some subtle magic.
Now I boot up fsx with huge clouds and weather, gorgeous scenery, physics, air traffic... and still I don't get the same... otherworldliness.
An extreme example I know - I feel we've gained so much but lost some subtle magic.
Not at all, in fact I still play it and enjoy it a lot.
Absolutely agree with all the above, imagination and limits of the tech available at the time (even for something as boundary pushing as Elite) I remember `flight sims` on my Commodore 16 when I was 10 years old that looked and felt amazing at the time but look back at them now and it's a couple of blobs on the screen withbleepy bloopy sound effects.
An alternate way of looking at it is this: Think how incredible ED looks, feels, sounds and plays now and then imagine yourself 30 years from now playing whatever cutting edge game/ system is there- look back to ED `30 years ago` and it will probably look a bit rough
But for now- ED is the best game I can imagine with current tech
An alternate way of looking at it is this: Think how incredible ED looks, feels, sounds and plays now and then imagine yourself 30 years from now playing whatever cutting edge game/ system is there- look back to ED `30 years ago` and it will probably look a bit rough
But for now- ED is the best game I can imagine with current tech
I remember being blown away because the Amstrad version had filled coloured circles for planets that moved around fairly quickly.
8-bit computers had a tough time rending circles quickly. I remember the Dragon 32 would take about half a minute to draw the outline of a circle and fill it.
8-bit computers had a tough time rending circles quickly. I remember the Dragon 32 would take about half a minute to draw the outline of a circle and fill it.
Imagination played a big part back in the day. Watching Isinona's videos I can see that same imagination at play, where others may be bored at the lack of 'content'; gaming is as much as what you bring to the experience. Then and now, although now the graphics are so
You are so right! Back then the games truly were an extention to my imagination, they were a platform to build upon with my own fantasy. And this is how games should be played, IMO, so you'll have the most fun.
Isinona is showing us exactly that, like you said; he is using the game as a 'tool', as a playground, to make his own adventure. I'm 44, and I still try to do the same, I look past bugs or graphical glitches in games; I just ignore things that will pull me out of that immersion into my own story. I set my own goals and make my own adventure; and ED is perfect for that!