Original Elite Combateers

[user2357]

Hi, All

(0) According to 1985-jan-15 Micro Adventurer p. 15, ‘An Elite crew’, col. 2, par. 4
(https://archive.org/stream/MicroAdventu ... 4/mode/1up),

‘[...] competition [...] Dangerous can enter [...]’

*

(1) According to 1984-dec Your Computer col. 3, ‘Hal joins the Elite’
(https://archive.org/stream/your-compute ... 9/mode/1up),

‘Hal Bertram has become the first to reach “Elite” status [...] On Saturday, 3rd November, at 11.39 [...]’

*

(2) According to https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/ ... dium=web2x, Mr. David Holdgate claims to have been 'the fifth person to get Elite status on my BBC B. I lived in Trumpington[,] and cycled into the Acornsoft office on Market Square, nearly causing a traffic accident on the way in! I just walked into the office[,] and handed in my details.'

*

(3) According to 1984-dec Acorn News p. 3, ‘Elite – the game everyone's playing’, col. 3
(http://www.elitehomepage.org/archive/a4120001.png),

‘The best rating during September was “dangerous”, but by [the end of] October, 40 “elites” had turned up in a total of 400 postcards.’

According to my best calculations, based upon this quote, it seems as if the first, original Elite-simulator combateer might have attained their Elite rating sometime around 1984-oct-17-wed, about a month after the original simulator's release, which was apparently on 1984-sep-20-thu (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_(video_game)).

(This seems to indicate that Commander Bertram might actually not have been the very first Elite combateer, but perhaps the first to report in during 1984-nov...?)

*

If any commander has any further information regarding this topic, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you. Specifically, I would like to establish contact with Commanders Hal Bertram and David Holdgate, as well as the first and any other commander who was one of the original Elite combateers who might have submitted their credentials for the original competition in 1984. (I have left a message for Commander Holdgate on Reddit, but it doesn't seem as if he goes there often anymore.) I would like to inquire as to how each of them did it, and any other anecdotes they might wish to share regarding that time.

Thank you kindly.

Sincerely
user

[Cholmondely]

Salutations!


Are you, by any chance, doing academic research into Video Gaming?

If you are, I would greatly appreciate it if you could possibly drop me a line.


Yours faithfully,

Cholmondeley

[Cholmondely]

Hi, All

(0) According to 1985-jan-15 Micro Adventurer p. 15, ‘An Elite crew’, col. 2, par. 4
(https://archive.org/stream/MicroAdventu ... 4/mode/1up),

‘[...] competition [...] Dangerous can enter [...]’

*

(1) According to 1984-dec Your Computer col. 3, ‘Hal joins the Elite’
(https://archive.org/stream/your-compute ... 9/mode/1up),

‘Hal Bertram has become the first to reach “Elite” status [...] On Saturday, 3rd November, at 11.39 [...]’

*

(2) According to https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/ ... dium=web2x, Mr. David Holdgate claims to have been 'the fifth person to get Elite status on my BBC B. I lived in Trumpington[,] and cycled into the Acornsoft office on Market Square, nearly causing a traffic accident on the way in! I just walked into the office[,] and handed in my details.'

*

(3) According to 1984-dec Acorn News p. 3, ‘Elite – the game everyone's playing’, col. 3
(http://www.elitehomepage.org/archive/a4120001.png),

‘The best rating during September was “dangerous”, but by [the end of] October, 40 “elites” had turned up in a total of 400 postcards.’

According to my best calculations, based upon this quote, it seems as if the first, original Elite-simulator combateer might have attained their Elite rating sometime around 1984-oct-17-wed, about a month after the original simulator's release, which was apparently on 1984-sep-20-thu (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_(video_game)).

(This seems to indicate that Commander Bertram might actually not have been the very first Elite combateer, but perhaps the first to report in during 1984-nov...?)

*

If any commander has any further information regarding this topic, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you. Specifically, I would like to establish contact with Commanders Hal Bertram and David Holdgate, as well as the first and any other commander who was one of the original Elite combateers who might have submitted their credentials for the original competition in 1984. (I have left a message for Commander Holdgate on Reddit, but it doesn't seem as if he goes there often anymore.) I would like to inquire as to how each of them did it, and any other anecdotes they might wish to share regarding that time.

Thank you kindly.

Sincerely
user

Just came across Cdr Burton

As we all know, the new Elite we have waited for will be here next year. Braben and Frontier are working feverishly to get it out.....ELITE : DANGEROUS.

So as the real new Elite is coming, let us all spare a thought for Oolite :

This really is the ultimate death sentence for Oolite, a real SWORD OF DAMOCLES.

It just can't and won't compete with the real thing.

God bless u Oolite, but now you are an empty hulk just waiting to be surpassed by the new REAL Elite.

Let us pray

Elite
Since
MCMLXXXIV

Looks like 1984 to me!

[Cody]

Just read through Burton's thread - rather amusing! Can't help but wonder where we'd be if Jens had got Oolite 2 going?

[user2357]

Elite
Since
MCMLXXXIV

Looks like 1984 to me!

Aha! Thanks, Commander Cholmondely. I'll try to establish contact with Commander Burton. Much appreciated.

[Cody]

... about a month after the original simulator's release.

What took them so long?

[user2357]

... about a month after the original simulator's release.

What took them so long?

I think I hear what you're doing there, Cody.

...But I am surprised at how quickly it was done.

According to 1984oct Computer & Video Games No36, p. 20, GAMES NEWS, JOINING THE ELITE, col. 1, par. 4 (I've cleaned up the punctuation a bit.):

'There is a certain reverence in Neil Raine's voice when he talks about 'elite' status. He is the man who wrote Planetoid, and, most recently, is the man with the highest score on Elite. "I have been playing it more or less solidly for four weeks now, and have achieved the rank of 'dangerous', which is three ranks away from 'elite'. We launch the game in September, and I doubt if anyone will achieve 'elite' before Christmas."'

More about Neil Raine: https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det ... sc-PC-600/

So, yeah. How'd they do it? In the media of the time, there is some mention of cheating, but also some discussion about the code, that was apparently required to be submitted together with the competition entry, somehow revealing whether an entrant's claim was authentic, or not.

About two years ago, I played Elite on the BeebEm emulator regularly for more than a month, and I could NOT figure out a practical combat strategy - not even with a max-spec Cobra Mk III. So, again, HOW?! How did they do it? How am I supposed to do it? ...or am I just destined to remain a Mostly Harmless trader for ever?...

[Cody]

In the media of the time, there is some mention of cheating

I once heard there was a cheat which would give you 256 missiles, but I find it hard to believe.

some discussion about the code, that was apparently required to be submitted together with the competition entry, somehow revealing whether an entrant's claim was authentic, or not.

18:56:59.974 [cheat.tentative]: POSSIBLE CHEAT DETECTED (as it used to say in Oolite's log).

About two years ago, I played Elite on the BeebEm emulator regularly for more than a month, and I could NOT figure out a practical combat strategy - not even with a max-spec Cobra Mk III. So, again, HOW?! How did they do it? How am I supposed to do it?

Once you had an aft military laser, BBC Elite became a turkey shoot! A few manic all-night sessions, and you could be Elite inside a week!

[user2357]

About two years ago, I played Elite on the BeebEm emulator regularly for more than a month, and I could NOT figure out a practical combat strategy - not even with a max-spec Cobra Mk III. So, again, HOW?! How did they do it? How am I supposed to do it?

Once you had an aft military laser, BBC Elite became a turkey shoot! A few manic all-night sessions, and you could be Elite inside a week!

Thanks, Cody. I think had a front military laser, but only a rear pulse laser at the time when I decided to give up. I should just have kept on going, I guess. Now, I have more hope again for success.

Neil Raine probably couldn't manage those "few manic all-night sessions", because work, and adulting, and RL etc., but, if your estimates are accurate, then a school-boy, putting in some all-nighters over a weekend after their parents have gone to bed (as I've heard some old-timers claim to have done), or perhaps even skipping school, could possibly have made Elite in a month, or six weeks, like Hal Bertram.

[Cody]

Neil Raine probably couldn't manage those "few manic all-night sessions", because work, and adulting, and RL etc.

<grins> I managed them, and I was in my thirties, with all the baggage that entails!

[user2357]

Neil Raine probably couldn't manage those "few manic all-night sessions", because work, and adulting, and RL etc.

<grins> I managed them, and I was in my thirties, with all the baggage that entails!

Cody, it sounds like you beat Neil Raine. That's no mean feat, sir, from what I've read (between the lines).<o Apparently, he had quite the reputation for programming and gaming, back in the day. If anybody knew about games, and how to play, it seems to have been Neil Raine. I mean, Acornsoft and CVG asked him, and he was willing to put his name to an estimate of when the Elite combat rating would be reached. ...but then Hal Bertram, and quite a few others, apparently, beat that estimate in about half the time. I guess "perseverance" is the word, "tenacity", "determination".

[Cody]

I guess "perseverance" is the word, "tenacity", "determination". :)

Cocaine?

[user2357]

I guess "perseverance" is the word, "tenacity", "determination".

Cocaine?

Concaine, smokaine... Excuses, excuses...

[Cholmondely]

Excuses, excuses...

Any chance someone could take a dekko at this: Immersion and give me some ideas for improvement?

[user2357]

Any chance someone could take a dekko at this: Immersion and give me some ideas for improvement?

Thanks for sharing, Commander Cholmondely. I'll send you a PM.