Hey y'all,
I have been playing Elite for almost two years now; slowly earning money, enjoying quiet moments in my cockpit and the occasional combat. Every once in a while I've run into another player--sent them an o7 before they waked out, or entered a CG only to be inexplicably blown away by an "imperial blockade"--but it wasn't until about eight months ago that I truly played with other people for the first time.
I had decided, on a whim, to search for a multi-crew seat. Before I knew it, I was in the far reaches of the galaxy, inside of another commander's Cobra Mk III, patiently scanning planets; then I was piloting a ship-launched fighter alongside two other commanders, hunting for bounties; I even ferried a new player around in my own ship and gave them some pointers. Each experience was so different, and revealed a unique opportunity to connect with the people who share this universe.
I have always understood part of Elite's charm to be the experience of lonely, melancholy beauty you experience after an evening of flying from port to port, star system to star system without seeing another soul. It's that empty vastness that captures our imagination so easily. But after this one evening in multi-crew I also saw that, as a game, so much of Elite's potential lies in moments of shared awe and excitement.
So, I decided to build The Friend Bus.
A charming little yellow potato with two seats. One for me, and one for a guest who wants to share an aspect of the universe that they love. What might happen when two commanders take The Friend Bus to rescue refugees from a damaged station? Or to exlpore guardian ruins? Or to go head-to-head with a thargoid interceptor? Or to scour other players' holds for void opals? Or to simply sit and stare at a sunset from the surface of an ice world?
Each episode we'll engage in these shenanigans together, and discuss what it is that draws us to the experience of flying in space, how it fits into our lives as a whole, and beyond. I'll be recording these adventures from within VR, and then releasing them in the form of YouTube videos so that you can follow the Friend Bus's every shenanigan.
If that sounds interesting to you, if that sounds charming, or if you just want to see it all go up in flames, I hope you stay tuned. And let me know if you'd like to take a ride in The Friend Bus. I'll be looking for guests very soon!
Cheers,
CMDR Figrin
Yes, the spoiler does make it faster.
I have been playing Elite for almost two years now; slowly earning money, enjoying quiet moments in my cockpit and the occasional combat. Every once in a while I've run into another player--sent them an o7 before they waked out, or entered a CG only to be inexplicably blown away by an "imperial blockade"--but it wasn't until about eight months ago that I truly played with other people for the first time.
I had decided, on a whim, to search for a multi-crew seat. Before I knew it, I was in the far reaches of the galaxy, inside of another commander's Cobra Mk III, patiently scanning planets; then I was piloting a ship-launched fighter alongside two other commanders, hunting for bounties; I even ferried a new player around in my own ship and gave them some pointers. Each experience was so different, and revealed a unique opportunity to connect with the people who share this universe.
I have always understood part of Elite's charm to be the experience of lonely, melancholy beauty you experience after an evening of flying from port to port, star system to star system without seeing another soul. It's that empty vastness that captures our imagination so easily. But after this one evening in multi-crew I also saw that, as a game, so much of Elite's potential lies in moments of shared awe and excitement.
So, I decided to build The Friend Bus.
A charming little yellow potato with two seats. One for me, and one for a guest who wants to share an aspect of the universe that they love. What might happen when two commanders take The Friend Bus to rescue refugees from a damaged station? Or to exlpore guardian ruins? Or to go head-to-head with a thargoid interceptor? Or to scour other players' holds for void opals? Or to simply sit and stare at a sunset from the surface of an ice world?
Each episode we'll engage in these shenanigans together, and discuss what it is that draws us to the experience of flying in space, how it fits into our lives as a whole, and beyond. I'll be recording these adventures from within VR, and then releasing them in the form of YouTube videos so that you can follow the Friend Bus's every shenanigan.
If that sounds interesting to you, if that sounds charming, or if you just want to see it all go up in flames, I hope you stay tuned. And let me know if you'd like to take a ride in The Friend Bus. I'll be looking for guests very soon!
Cheers,
CMDR Figrin
Yes, the spoiler does make it faster.
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