Why the name Elite - Dangerous

Commander Mick

Commander Mick
I had already asked this question in one of my typically longer posts on another thread and thought it might have been overlooked amongst my usual waffle.

To a lot of you and Frontier Developments this may be a too obvious question and it could be that I'm just clueless.

Well after playing the original game back in the mid to late 80's and a little research here.

I do have some clue and just want further clarification.

While understand that the age old name ELITE is being used and I don't quite get that then the word DANGEROUS is then added to it.

What I got from this.......two different status's in one name.

Then why not ELITE - HARMLESS two show both extremes or HARMLESS TO ELITE which is in better order.

Or is this the status of the current game.

I would have thought then, that they should call it ELITE - ELITE and the three previous games.....

ELITE - COMPETANT *

ELITE - DANGEROUS

ELITE - DEADLY​

Or is that just being silly?

I'm not sure if it really means all that, but I would like to hear some other opinions.

If not the answer to my question.

I just hope this hasn't been posted before or has offended the team working on the game.

Well, this has been bothering me since I heard that it was given that name.

*(This may be ABOVE AVERAGE if I got the order of status wrong.)
 

Kinderman

Kinderman
Quite a good subject for a thread I think and should get quite a mix of responses as a typical rhetorical question.

I don't think it is necessary to have a running series of names as quoted in your post - be it Elite - Elite, Elite - competent etc. or even 1, 2, 3 etc.

Maybe just Elite : Dangerous because of the scenario's that we are likely to encounter within the game, or maybe because to be Elite within the game would indicate that you as a pilot are 'dangerous'.

Whatever the FD's reasons are for choosing this name, I have already subscribed to this thread as I'm sure there will be lots of varying and interesting takes on why members believe the name has been chosen.

Roll on Alpha...
 

Tinman

Tinman
Elite: Dangerous = First release, dangerous but not "complete".

Elite: Deadly = Planetary landings, we're getting there.

Elite = When we have both SPL and can walk around as characters. In other words the whole scope of the planned game, from galactic overview down to human scales. From here on it's just Elite and nothing more. ;)

At least I hope something like this is the plan. Absolutely love the game, but can't help to think of some 80s B flick when hearing the the name Elite: Dangerous. :p
 

insanephoton

insanephoton
I remember that there was a thread about the name quite some time ago, around the time that the Kickstarter finished. A lot of people didn't like the name and some preferred Elite IV. I'm not sure we ever got a definitive answer from FD.

I suppose partly it's a nod to the old ranking system though if we followed it slavishly the current game would be Elite: Below Average which doesn't sound too good but still sounds better than the equivalent for FFE (the third game) which would have been Elite: Poor.

Another point is that in many ways it isn't really a sequel, more of a rebooting of the franchise in a similar way to Casino Royale rebooting Bond film franchise.

There is the consideration that it's been a long while since any previous elite game was released and there has to be some appeal to the younger generation that grew up in the mean time so the name has to catch people's imaginations.
 

JKF

JKF
I think David is saving Elite Deadly for the Holodeck version; with safety protocols disabled :D
 

Hamerstein

Hamerstein
insanephoton said:
Another point is that in many ways it isn't really a sequel, more of a rebooting of the franchise in a similar way to Casino Royale rebooting Bond film franchise.
Click to expand...

That's a very cogent comment, while set later in the Elite-universe timeline, this isn't a sequel. Calling it Elite 4 would suggest a continuation from FFE in gameplay terms, which it's apparent ED isn't.

Logically, it'd be called just "Elite", perhaps there are copywrite issue with doing that, as I assume both Ian Bell and David Braben own that copywrite still?
 

Variform

Variform
I would have been happy with 'Elite 4' or 'Elite IV'.

It will make people aware it is a franchise and they will YT it and find they can be part of a legacy.
 

MacArthur

M
At first I thought the name slightly odd, being a double reference to the ranking system but I've kinda got used to it now.

I sometimes take the meaning to be an out of game reference to this being a new generation of game. DB is saying Elite and Frontier were just practise, training, now see what we can do now we REALLY know what we're doing.
 

Patrick_68000

Patrick_68000
Elite Dangerous can find it justification for several reasons consistent. The fact that the game is multiplayer brings of the dangerousness. The fact that computer technology today allows to make of unthinkable things and dangerous, in the 90s. And also the fact that the game is going really make us, a experience the danger
 

Ian Doncaster

Ian Doncaster
I seem to remember it being said that it was a reference to the way the Elite Federation of Pilots would accept pilots of Dangerous rank or higher into its membership. I can't find where that was said now, though (maybe in one of the video updates?)
 

Patrick_68000

Patrick_68000
Ian Doncaster said:
I seem to remember it being said that it was a reference to the way the Elite Federation of Pilots would accept pilots of Dangerous rank or higher into its membership. I can't find where that was said now, though (maybe in one of the video updates?)
Click to expand...

+1 for you. In fact it is said that the Elite status will begin Dangerous, then Deadly, and finally Elite. In a way that the federation pilot Elite have enough members
 

Commander Mick

Commander Mick
Tinman said:
Elite: Dangerous = First release, dangerous but not "complete".

Elite: Deadly = Planetary landings, we're getting there.

Elite = When we have both SPL and can walk around as characters. In other words the whole scope of the planned game, from galactic overview down to human scales. From here on it's just Elite and nothing more. ;)

At least I hope something like this is the plan. Absolutely love the game, but can't help to think of some 80s B flick when hearing the the name Elite: Dangerous. :p
Click to expand...

I do love the sound of that :cool:

Wulf said:
Elite Deadly works, but Elite Elite doesn't have the same ring to it.
Click to expand...

Agreed :cool:
 

Dean478

Dean478
It's only a preference, but I always preferred the change in name to 'Frontier'. Just sounded so awesome and unique to me. :)
 
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