FrontierAstro (@frontierastro.bsky.social)

@frontierastro.bsky.social Oct 11, 2026, 2:11 PM

I've just finished watching the F1 from Singapore. As ever, tyres are the main issue as well 🙄

@frontierastro.bsky.social Oct 9, 2026, 10:05 AM

The colour scheme of the loading screen in Amstrad Elite varied according to which version of the game you were playing. Tape - black space, blue engine plumes Disc - blue space, cyan plumes French/German - black space, orange plumes Impress your friends with this fact today!

The loading screen for Amstrad Elite (Firebird, 1986). This is the image for the cassette tape version, identified by the black space and blue engine plumes/planet.
The text in the image reads "Firebird Elite. Original game Bell & Braben".

The loading screen for Amstrad Elite (Firebird, 1986). This is the image for the disc version, identified by the blue space and cyan engine plumes/planet.
The text in the image reads "Firebird Elite. Original game Bell & Braben".

The loading screen for Amstrad Elite (Firebird, 1986). This is the image for the French & German versions, identified by the black space and orange engine plumes/planet.
The text in the image reads "Firebird Elite. Original game Bell & Braben".

@frontierastro.bsky.social Oct 7, 2026, 10:20 AM

Elite for the MSX computer was an excellent but overlooked version of the game. It had a colourful display and fast-moving graphics, albeit quite lo-res. A full complement of ships plus five absorbing missions all combined to make this the 7th best version of Elite of all time!

The loading screen for MSX Elite (Firebird, 1987). Programmed by Mr Micro.

The retail box contents for MSX Elite (Firebird, 1987). Aside from the box, there was the Space Traders Flight Training Manual (64 pages), The Dark Wheel novella (48 pages), a Quick Key Control Guide and the 3½" floppy disc.

A spinning Wolf Mark 2 space ship, on the introductory screen of MSX Elite (Firebird, 1987).

The space view in MSX Elite (Firebird, 1987). On screen are a Coriolis station, the system's star and a Transporter ship.

@frontierastro.bsky.social Oct 5, 2026, 10:35 AM

Next time you see The Pleiades this winter, pay attention to the star circled in the photo. This is Pleione, a Thargoid forward base, despite being infected with an INRA mycoid in 3252. The location of the alien home world remains unknown, but Pleione is too close for comfort! 😧

The Pleiades star cluster, with Pleione circled. This has been confirmed as a Thargoid forward base in Frontier First Encounters (Gametek, 1995).

In orbit around Pleione 1 in the Pleione system, in FFED3D-AJ. The message at the top of the screen reads:-
"Thargoid Clone Leader to Followers: All drive engines destroyed. Hyperspace no longer possible. All followers to withdraw to Forward Base 2. This ship highly infectious. Clone members preparing to die. Do not attempt to board. Repeat, do not attempt to board."

System information screen in FFED3D-AJ. It describes the Pleione system as being centred around a Type 'B' hot blue star but with no registered settlements.

@frontierastro.bsky.social Oct 4, 2026, 1:56 PM

The only version of Frontier I can suggest getting the 3D models from is FFED3D-AJ, where each ship is represented by a old style .X file and skin in the Models folder. No idea about FE2, unfortunately.

@frontierastro.bsky.social Oct 2, 2026, 10:05 AM

Frontier Elite optimistically judged the separation between Alpha and Proxima Centauri to be around 900AU. Elite Dangerous is much more accurate at 13,000AU, which is why flying to Hutton Orbital is such a tedious trip compared to Eden Station. Remember to pack your sandwiches!

Eden Station orbiting planet Eden, Alpha Centauri system, in FFED3D-AJ. The red star to the left of the image is Proxima Centauri, the closest star beyond our Solar system.

The system information screen for Alpha Centauri in FFED3D-AJ. Proxima Centauri is shown (erroneously) as having a distance from its parent star of 963 AU. One AU (Astronomical Unit) is the average distance between Earth and the Sun, equating to 149,597,870 km or 92,955,807 miles.

Space view in Elite Dangerous, with Hutton Orbital targeted in the Alpha Centauri system. The distance of 0.21 ly (light years) is correct; approximately 13,000 AU. One AU (Astronomical Unit) is the average distance between Earth and the Sun, equating to 149,597,870 km or 92,955,807 miles.

System information in Elite Dangerous for Alpha Centauri, showing Proxima Centauri as having a orbiting distance from its parent star of 12,268.91 AU. One AU (Astronomical Unit) is the average distance between Earth and the Sun, equating to 149,597,870 km or 92,955,807 miles.

@frontierastro.bsky.social Oct 2, 2026, 7:05 AM

Depends how long it's been there though! 🤢

@frontierastro.bsky.social Sep 30, 2026, 10:02 AM

It was odd that The Micro User magazine published a guide to playing Elite in January 1986, 16 months after the game was released. However Elite for the BBC Master did hit the shops later that year. It was nice to see some new Elite art, rather than the usual Philip Castle image.

The front cover of the January 1986 edition of The Micro User magazine (Volume 3, Number 11). It featured some Elite-themed artwork and also showed the guide to playing Elite contained within.

@frontierastro.bsky.social Sep 28, 2026, 10:05 AM

Unsurprisingly, #Commodore64 owners were desperate to play #Elite on their machine, having witnessed it on the #BBCMicro and #AcornElectron. In 1985, their prayers were answered and the game was a massive hit everywhere. #AmstradCPC and #Spectrum versions soon followed.

An advert for Elite on the Commodore 64 home computer (Firebird, 1985). The headline read "Out in deep space, these reviewers faced their toughest test."

@frontierastro.bsky.social Sep 25, 2026, 10:02 AM

Back in 1984, this was probably the most exciting moment in computer games up to that point - when the first mission was triggered in #BBCElite. Suddenly you felt much more important, as Her Majesty's Space Navy was giving *you* a secret mission to carry out! Happy days...

First page of the Constrictor mission in BBC Elite (Acornsoft, 1984).
(***** is replaced by the current Commander's name.)

The text reads as follows:-

"Greetings Commander *****, I am Captain Fosdyke Smythe of Her Majesty's Space Navy and I beg a moment of your valuable time.
We would like you to do a little job for us.
The ship you see here is a new model, the Constrictor, equiped (sic) with a top secret new shield generator.
Unfortunately it's been stolen."

Second page of the Constrictor mission in BBC Elite (Acornsoft, 1984).

"It went missing from our ship yard on Xeer five months ago and is believed to have jumped to this galaxy.
Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to seek and destroy this ship.
You are cautioned that only Military Lasers will penetrate the new shields and that the Constrictor is fitted with an E. C. M. System.
Good luck, Commander.
MESSAGE ENDS"

@frontierastro.bsky.social Sep 23, 2026, 10:00 AM

Back in 1993, it was quite novel to see animated adverts within computer games, although in #FrontierElite2 they were for fictitious products.
I can't imagine what Crater Juice tastes like, but apparently in the summer of 3200 the only way to drink it is Ice Cold 🥤🙂

@frontierastro.bsky.social Sep 20, 2026, 9:05 AM

A significant birthday for #Elite this year - the game is now 42 years old. Definitely the answer to Life, The Universe and Everything! The #MostlyHarmless combat ranking is another connection to Douglas Adams' #HHGTTG. I wonder what he would have made of #EliteDangerous?

A still image of the spinning Cobra Mark 3 space ship at the start of Elite for the BBC Computer (Acornsoft, 1984). The text on the screen reads as follows:-

---- E L I T E ----
By D. Braben & I. Bell
Load New Commander (Y/N)?
(C) Acornsoft 1984

@frontierastro.bsky.social Sep 18, 2026, 3:06 PM

I don't remember Wee Shuggy at all. Memory must be going! 😲

@frontierastro.bsky.social Sep 18, 2026, 10:15 AM

#BEEBUG was an A5-sized computer magazine in the UK, taking a mainly serious look at the #BBCMicro during the 1980s and 1990s. It included a favourable single-page review of #BBCElite in its November 1984 edition, awarding the game a deserved 5 stars!

The front cover of the November 1984 issue of BEEBUG magazine (Vol 3 No 6). It included the familiar Elite artwork by Philip Castle, albeit in monochrome, and the words "Elite - the new supergame" above the picture.

The single-page review of Elite in the November 1984 issue of BEEBUG magazine (Vol 3 No 6). It rated the game very highly, and awarded it 5 stars out of 5.

@frontierastro.bsky.social Sep 16, 2026, 10:02 AM

I don't want #Commodore64 owners to feel left out, and #C64Elite was in many ways better than the Spectrum version, especially the graphics. Anyway, it was another portal to the amazing world of #Elite for many kids in the UK and beyond, and the 4th best version of Elite ever!

@frontierastro.bsky.social Sep 14, 2026, 9:17 PM

Diso-Leesti sounds a bit risky to me 😲

@frontierastro.bsky.social Sep 14, 2026, 10:20 AM

For many 80s kids, this was their introduction to #Elite, when #SpectrumElite was released by Firebird in 1985. Whether you were playing it safe by taking agricultural goods to Zaonce, or smuggling narcotics to Riedquat for huge profits, this was #EliteDangerous 40+ years ago!

@frontierastro.bsky.social Sep 11, 2026, 10:30 AM

Look closely at these images from the #CommodoreAmiga and #AtariST versions of #Elite in 1988. Notice much difference? They're virtually identical games developed by Mr Micro. Fine games though they were, 5 years later #FrontierElite2 came along and rewrote the space sim genre.

@frontierastro.bsky.social Sep 10, 2026, 12:40 PM

I loved some of the competitor names in Revs: Max Throttle, Slim Chance, Gloria Slap 😅 I was rubbish at the game though...

@frontierastro.bsky.social Sep 9, 2026, 10:02 AM

#Elite was hugely popular in the USA as well as the UK and Europe, and the two obvious machines to release it on were the #Commodore64 in 1985 and #AppleII in 1986. Both were excellent conversions and sold well. #Commodore64Elite was especially well done by the original authors.