Elite-A

Elite-A

Although originally known as Elite III (Elite II was an unpublished version of Elite for the BBC Mirco) this rework of the BBC disk version by Angus Duggan became known as Elite-A with the release of the Frontier sequels. The release of Elite-A was permitted in 1997 (AFE FAQ).

The player begins as the pilot of a humble Adder (with a maximum range of only 6.0 LY) and can purchase superior ships after earning significant money. Other notable changes include the addition of a contract system for the delivery of special cargos as quickly as possible.

Equipment now occupies cargo space reducing trading volume. Purchase of extra cargo bays is not permitted. Instead that 'slot' in the 6502 code is taken by the introduction of an IFF system that can be purchased to enhance the scanner: additional colour information on the 'golf-clubs' indicates the intent of other ships (Elite-A hints). The notorious energy bomb of the original is replaced by a long-range random emergency hyperspace unit.

A version of Elite-A is also available from Ian Bell's web site.