I Admire my Elite Brothers for 30 Years Ago
- Thread starter Wulf
- Start date
yup, docking was difficult, i used to charge my friends to dock for them as i got quite good at it. payment by results only though
When docking on old Elite move close to the station then align your ship with the middle of the planet. Move towards the planet for sometime - experiment - then turn around and face the station. You should be lined up with the station entrance side facing you deadon. Move towards the station matching the rotation and viola! That's how I docked all the time!
If you're using keyboard, then it was exceptionally hard. With joystick it was a little better so long as you didn't rush, because you had more control over the rotation as you went in.
The docking computer was pretty good, as long as you gave it a good start. If you came right up to the entrance at a bad angle, the computer would either abort and make it a five minute trek out and back in, or try to fix the approach and kill you.
The docking computer was pretty good, as long as you gave it a good start. If you came right up to the entrance at a bad angle, the computer would either abort and make it a five minute trek out and back in, or try to fix the approach and kill you.
Docking was easy. The combat missions in E: D are also easy.
Exactly what I did.
On the old Elite, the station was spinning fast. Much faster. Docking had to be learned. In ED, the station spins leisurely - it is almost no effort to match rotation to dock. The faster spin is what made it hard. When you purchased your first docking computer, it was a huge relief. In ED it's kinda the opposite... if you use the docking computer in ED it's actually nerve-wrecking to see it dock
Anyway, if you're aligned to the rotational axis dead-on, you'll dock without problems as long as you match the rotation speed of the station. Otherwise you just go splat.
Many commanders have been "baptised by fire" that way.
Anyway, if you're aligned to the rotational axis dead-on, you'll dock without problems as long as you match the rotation speed of the station. Otherwise you just go splat.
Many commanders have been "baptised by fire" that way.
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Having yaw and lateral thrusters makes it so much easier as well. I remember thinking at first there was no way I would ever be able to dock (C64 version, for the record).
I did eventually prefer manual docking cause I got the hang of it and the docking computer was too slow for my impatient adolescent self. Ah, the reflexes of youth....
I did eventually prefer manual docking cause I got the hang of it and the docking computer was too slow for my impatient adolescent self. Ah, the reflexes of youth....
Yes the original docking was a nightmare
Played on a Amiga 500 and was about 27 , I sweared at this awfull game my smaller brother had introduced to me
He had played it for a couple of years on various platforms C64 and Amiga and he was admirably good at it ( think he was Deadly or Elite), well he had to on several occasions travel to my place, 30 km away , to help me to dock
Thats what kid brothers are for
Eventually I got the knack of it, but as you can imagine, that when today 30 years on , I still remember the dread, it made a huge and 'prolly everlasting impact on me.
Docking today is hilariously easy compared
Another thought: it is totally awesome that a piece of software made 30 years ago can capture such a rave, my guess is that probably 65 % of the original players are here with us today , And thats pretty good considering age, health, crime, cars, growing up, family, wife and wives and more wives , life in general.
David Braben has placed a huge responsibility on his own shoulders; to actually develop something legendary and keep it legenday, not to blemish the reputation.
In my humble opinion, he is on the way , this game is looking legendary already.
Yes I'am a fanboi.
Cheers Cmdr's
Played on a Amiga 500 and was about 27 , I sweared at this awfull game my smaller brother had introduced to me
He had played it for a couple of years on various platforms C64 and Amiga and he was admirably good at it ( think he was Deadly or Elite), well he had to on several occasions travel to my place, 30 km away , to help me to dock
Thats what kid brothers are for
Eventually I got the knack of it, but as you can imagine, that when today 30 years on , I still remember the dread, it made a huge and 'prolly everlasting impact on me.
Docking today is hilariously easy compared
Another thought: it is totally awesome that a piece of software made 30 years ago can capture such a rave, my guess is that probably 65 % of the original players are here with us today , And thats pretty good considering age, health, crime, cars, growing up, family, wife and wives and more wives
, life in general.David Braben has placed a huge responsibility on his own shoulders; to actually develop something legendary and keep it legenday, not to blemish the reputation.
In my humble opinion, he is on the way , this game is looking legendary already.
Yes I'am a fanboi.
Cheers Cmdr's
i dont know about anyone else but when i used to dock manually, id line up etc and start to enter but in the last two seconds there always seemed to be like an optical illusion with the rotation and i never knew if i was about to explode lol i think it was just the black and white vectors that did it, at least now we have full colour to give some more visual clues
Docking in original ELITE is easy, really.
Once you find the station, fly towards its front. The front always faces the planet, so you fly towards a point between station and planet, quite near the station. Roll so that the imaginary line connecting station and planet center is horizontal (for example station to your left, planet to your right) and switch to the station side viewport. Once you see the station in that viewport, fly so that you are at the center of docking bay face of the station, switch to front view & fly in! Some speed and rightly timed roll boosts your survival rate tremendously...
TL: DR - watch the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-Zxogh4jw8&list=UUhOZDTQYxLdtof6lJOEqu3g#t=112
or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-Zxogh4jw8&list=UUhOZDTQYxLdtof6lJOEqu3g#t=482
Once you find the station, fly towards its front. The front always faces the planet, so you fly towards a point between station and planet, quite near the station. Roll so that the imaginary line connecting station and planet center is horizontal (for example station to your left, planet to your right) and switch to the station side viewport. Once you see the station in that viewport, fly so that you are at the center of docking bay face of the station, switch to front view & fly in! Some speed and rightly timed roll boosts your survival rate tremendously...
TL: DR - watch the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-Zxogh4jw8&list=UUhOZDTQYxLdtof6lJOEqu3g#t=112
or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-Zxogh4jw8&list=UUhOZDTQYxLdtof6lJOEqu3g#t=482
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And planetary landings could look like that ?
Docking in original ELITE is easy, really
Maybe I'am too old for computer games
cheers Cmdr's
Avago Earo
Banned
It was a bit easier with a joystick as the BBC used analogue so you could match the speed of the rotation and hold it there. I used a Voltmace Delta 14 Joystick.
The way I used to dock was to line up between the planet and the station as in the original Elite the entrance always faced the planet. Then I would thrust between the two and when I got close enough I would use the side view adjacent to the side the station was on and halt when it was central on that screen. Then, with front view on, using the scanner and compass if needed rotate and pitch to bring the station in line.
Then sweat a lot.
The way I used to dock was to line up between the planet and the station as in the original Elite the entrance always faced the planet. Then I would thrust between the two and when I got close enough I would use the side view adjacent to the side the station was on and halt when it was central on that screen. Then, with front view on, using the scanner and compass if needed rotate and pitch to bring the station in line.
Then sweat a lot.