Frontier: Elite II
| Frontier: Elite II | |
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DOS cover art for Frontier: Elite II
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| Developer(s) | David Braben |
| Publisher(s) | Gametek, Konami |
| Designer(s) | David Braben |
| Platform(s) | Amiga, Amiga CD32, Atari ST, DOS |
| Release | October 1993 |
| Genre(s) | Space trading and combat simulator |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Frontier: Elite II is a space trading and combat simulator video game written by David Braben and published by GameTek in 1993 and released on the Amiga, Atari ST and DOS. It is the first sequel to the seminal game Elite from 1984.
The game retains the same principal component of Elite, namely open-ended gameplay, and adds realistic physics and an accurately modelled galaxy.
Frontier: Elite II had a number of firsts to its name. It was the first game to feature procedurally generated star systems. These were generated by the game aggregating the mass of material within an early solar system into planets and moons that obey the laws of physics, but which have slightly randomised material distribution in order to ensure each system’s uniqueness.
It was followed by Frontier: First Encounters in 1995 and another sequel, Elite: Dangerous in 2014.
There is no plot within Frontier, nor are there pre-scripted missions (as there are in its sequel, First Encounters). Instead, players explore space while trading legally or illegally, carrying out missions for the military, ferrying passengers from system to system, engaging in piracy or any combination of the above. As a consequence, Frontier cannot be completed or "won", and players instead decide what to aspire to and set out to achieve it.
In Frontier, the player begins in the year 3200 and assumes the role of one of Commander Jameson's grandchildren, having inherited one hundred credits and an Eagle Long Range Fighter from him. By the game’s standards, these are very modest resources, and are intended as a spur to encourage players to earn money by whatever means they feel is appropriate.
Though the plot is minimal, some background information about the universe of Frontier is provided. There are two major factions in the galaxy: The "Federation", based in the Sol system, and the "Empire", based in the Achenar system. These two factions are bitter enemies, but at the time of the game they have established a tense cease-fire, akin to the Cold War. Players are free to side themselves with the Federation, the Empire, both, or neither; the game does not restrict one's political career. Both sides have military forces that a player can run freelance missions for, with successes leading to a military promotion. The ranks of the Federation and Empire are independent of each other. Playing for both sides adds to the difficulty to acquire a rank promotion for either.
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Wikipedia