Elite is a space trading and combat simulation video game series created by David Braben and Ian Bell in 1984. The Elite series has been revolutionary innovative, genre-defining, and the longest-running space sim series in history. Elite’s open-ended game model and revolutionary 3D graphics led to it being ported to virtually every contemporary home computer system. They earned it a place as a classic and a genre maker in gaming history. The game’s title derives from one of the player’s goals of raising their combat rating to the exalted heights of “Elite”.
Gameplay
The player initially controls the character “Commander Jameson”, though the name can be changed each time the game is saved. The player starts at Lave Station with 100 credits and a lightly armed trading ship, a Cobra Mark III. Most ships the player encounters are similarly named after snakes or other reptiles. Credits can be accumulated through several means. These include piracy, trade, military missions, bounty hunting and asteroid mining. The money generated by these enterprises allows the player to upgrade their ship with enhancements such as better weapons, increased cargo capacity, an automated docking system, an extra energy bank and more.
The plot of the game
In the game universe, stars have single planets, each with a space station in its orbit. Stars are always separated by interstellar distances which cannot be crossed using the ship’s sublight engines. Travel between stars is accomplished by hyperspace jumps and is constrained to those within range of the limited fuel capacity (a maximum of 7 light years) of the ship’s hyperdrive. Sublight travel uses no fuel.
Fuel can be replenished after docking with a space station, which requires matching the ship’s rotation to that of the station before entering the docking bay. A task that can be avoided by purchasing a docking computer. Equipment upgrades include a fuel scoop, which allows “sun skimming” collecting energy from the stars’ corona, described by the manual as “a dangerous and difficult activity”, but in practice a fairly simple process far easier than manually docking at a space station—and collecting free-floating cargo canisters and escape capsules liberated after the destruction of other ships.
While making a hyperspace jump between star systems, the antagonistic Thargoid race may intercept the player half way, forcing the player’s ship to remain in “witch-space” and do battle with the smaller invasion ships of the Thargoid. As the interrupted jump uses the full journey’s fuel, the player may have insufficient fuel to subsequently jump to a nearby planet, trapping them in witch-space. They must either use an escape capsule, if owned, or abort the game and reload.
Upgrade of the game
An extremely expensive one-time galactic hyperspace upgrade permits travel between the eight galaxies of the game universe. There is little practical difference between the different galaxies. However, in some versions it is necessary to travel to at least the second galaxy to access the game’s missions. The planetary layout of the galaxies is different, and many players have discovered trade routes between closely positioned planets with fortuitous economic combinations.
Most versions of Elite included several optional jobs for the Galactic Navy. One requires tracking down and destroying a stolen experimental ship;[22] another involves transporting classified information on the Thargoids’ home planet, with Thargoid invasion ships doing their best to see that the player does not succeed throughout the duration of the mission involving multiple interplanetary jumps. Rewards differed depending on the mission – from cash and gems to esoteric hardware such as a cloaking device.
The game’s title is Adventure, and it comes in a large box with the Elite Gold 48K/128K capacity. This game is perfect for anyone who wants to relive the glory days of video gaming. Get your hands on this rare gem and enjoy hours of entertainment.
Elite Spectrum 48K/128K Cassette Game Firebird Software Ltd
Elite original cassette (Tested)
Original trifold inlay instructions
Orginial cassette large box
Full title: Elite
Arcade Game: Action and adventure
Publisher(s): Firebird Software Ltd (1985)
What’s it like today?
Rarity: Extremly Rare
Typical value: £49.99
Boxed & Mint: £59.50-£69.99
Fun Factor: 
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