This is the original Elite Players Guide as sent out to confused Elite players by BT back in 1988. Typed in by Martin Wilson. Please note that the C64 version is the most similar to the BBC. Its almost identical to the BBC B disk version, just slower with the added Tribbles feature. ***************************************************************************** February 15, 1988 British Telecom The Advanced Elite Players Guide Spectrum 48K/128K Early versions of Elite will only work on 48K/+ machines and require a small red plastic LENSLOK to start the game. However, a 48/128 version of Elite is now available which will work on all Spectrum 48K and 128K machines and NO LENSLOK is required to run the game. If you have an old version of the game, then we will upgrade it for you if you return JUST the cassette and the LENSLOK to us with a short covering note explaining that you want your Elite upgraded. Please note that the new version of Elite has NO added ships or missions, although it is slightly more difficult. Amstrad 464/664/6128 Early versions of cassette Elite have a nasty bug in them. This makes the game "freeze" and the screen turns red. These are recognisable because the labels stuck to the sides of the cassette are BLACK. The unbugged version of the game has a WHITE cassette label which is marked with the word METROPOLITAN. If you have the old version of Elite, you may return it to us for upgrading. Return JUST your cassette to us with a short covering note explaining that you require the METROPOLITAN version of Elite. Commodore 64/128 Some versions of disc Elite will only work on 1541 disk drives. This version will display a white screen with groups of small red bands across it as it loads. A special version has been made which will work with ALL Commodore disc drives as well as American systems. When loading the game with this version, the screen will turn red and the computer will ask whether you want to use the fastloader (Y/N). You should press "Y" if you have a 1541 disc drive or "N" if you have another type of drive. You may upgrade old disc versions of Elite by returning JUST your disc with a covering note explaining that you have a disc drive other than the 1541. Disc upgrades on ALL computers Spectrum Elite is available for the Opus Discovery disc drive. This version is only available from Boots, and Firebird software is unable to replace or supply this version of the game. You may upgrade Amstrad,Commodore or MSX Elite from cassette to disc for just œ4. Simply return JUST your Elite cassette with a cheque or PO for œ4 and we will send a disc version of the game to you. Please note that disc versions of Elite are NOT enhanced. Also, Amstrad users will find that their cassette saved commanders will not load into their disc version of the game and thus they will have to re-start the game from Lave. Amstrad CPC Disc Elite The instructions for loading this game are wrong. You should load the game by typing RUN "ELITE" and then press RETURN. IBM PC Elite There are two versions of IBM Elite. To find out which version you have, press the 'V' key whilst in the Commander Loading/Saving section. This will tell you the version date of your Elite disc. Any date before December 1987 means that you have version 1. Any date after this, means that your disc is version 3. Version 1 of Elite should run properly on any PC but Tandy users may experience joystick problems. Version 1 will also make the PC's battery clock go 'haywire'. Version 3 has these problems fixed and has also been made even more difficult, especially for hardened players! All Elite Players Using Discs Anyone who is playing Elite with discs (on any computer format) should take note that ALL commanders should be saved to a blank, formatted disc. Never write data to your Elite Game Disc. Everything you didn't know about Elite CBM 64 To make the music play:- Pause the game, press "X","C" and then the left-arrow key in the top left of the keyboard. To get into Witchspace:- Pause the game, press "X" and then the left-arrow key in the top left of the keyboard. Now hold down CTRL whilst doing a hyperspace. Trumbles:- Once you have them, there is only one way to get rid of them - FRY them alive!! You will have to work out how to do this yourself. Weird ships:- There is a weird ship which very occasionally appears in CBM 64 Elite. We do not know what it is or why it is there and the authors (Bell and Braben) aren't telling! All we do know is that this ship is not on the ship identification chart, it is very fast and well armed, it does not show up on the scanner and it is not the constrictor ship from the first special mission (see later). Any ideas anybody? Spectrum/Amstrad To get into Witchspace:- Pause the game, press "F" (For Fargoidsville!!) and then unpause the game. Now do a hyperspace. Space Stations:- Some space stations appear in deep orbit on Spectrum and Amstrad versions. On flying to them, the compass will suddenly indicate the the space station is behind you. This is wrong, and if you keep flying on your path forwards, then the space station will suddenly appear. MSX Elite MSX Elite has a couple of extra ships which are not documented in the manual. Also, if you push key 'f5' then you will be told how long you have been playing the game. All Formats Space Dredgers:- They can be found (but very rarely) in Galaxy Seven but near no particular planets. Generation ships do NOT exist and are only mythological. Right on Commander! - For every 256 kills (approx) that you make, the message 'RIGHT ON COMMANDER!' will flash up on screen. RAXXLA and EARTH cannot be found in Elite. Alien items:- These are Thargons that have been scooped up. The Special Missions CBM 64 Missions One and Two are available only. They happen randomly. Spectrum/Amstrad/PC Missions Three,Four and Five are available only. You must be outside of galaxy one for a few hours before a mission can start. MSX All five missions apply to this format. You must be outside galaxy one for a few hours before a mission can start. Mission One Seek and destroy a special proto-type naval ship called a "Constrictor". When you are given this mission, you will be told where the ship was stolen from and where it was last seen. In fact, it has done a Galactic Hyperspace from the planet where it was last seen. If you follow it by doing a Galactic Hyperspace from the same planet you should find it within a seven light year radius of your position when you come out of the Galactic Hyperspace. As a clue, the planet data on the world that the "Constrictor" is at will say that there is a "mean, nasty, vicious ship out there!" (or words to that effect). Mission Two Transport some Thargoid documents across a galaxy (either galaxy three or galaxy seven). In return you will get a Naval Energy Unit which is twice as good as an Extra Energy Unit. Mission Three Rescue some refugees from a system that is going Supernova. It will start as you enter a system, when the message "Fuel Leak" will flash up and the screen will turn RED. First you should go to the sun and scoop some fuel because you cannot buy any at the space station. Next go to the space station and select SELL CARGO. A message will now pop up on screen. Offering you a mission to save some refugees. Mission Four You will be attacked by about three Asps who are escorting an INVISIBLE Adder. If you shoot the Adder(if you can see it!!) then a cargo canister will drop out of it. If you pick this up then "CLOAKING DEVICE" will flash up on screen. This means that you can now become invisible when you push the "Y" key but beware as it uses up your energy. Mission Five The Thargoid invasion fleet. A message will come up telling you that a particular planet has been invaded. If you got to this planet, they you will find it totally populated with Thargoids. You must destroy the space station. If you do this then you will be given an ECM jammer and the glorius title of "Arkangel Florence" (the authors idea of a macho title!!). Elite II Watch this space!