Compare code for features of enhanced Elite

The following table shows code variations related to the extra features that are found in the enhanced versions of Elite (i.e. the BBC Micro disc, 6502 Second Processor and BBC Master versions).

Click on a name to see all the code differences for that part of the codebase, or click on an individual variation to focus on that particular feature.

Name	Comments
ANGRY Tactics	In the enhanced versions, attacking an innocent bystander (i.e. a ship that has bit 5 of the NEWB flags set) will annoy the space station. See the code variation for this feature In the enhanced versions, ship hostility is measured separately from aggression, so ships can be very aggressive, but not hostile (though this changes when provoked). This is more subtle than in the cassette version, where there is only a measure of aggression, and a ship is deemed to be hostile if the top bit of its aggression level is set. See the code variation for this feature
cntr Dashboard	When the docking computer takes over the controls in the enhanced versions, keyboard damping is disabled, so it can make finer course corrections during docking. See the code variation for this feature
DEATH Start and end	On death, the cassette and Electron versions show your ship explosion along with up to four cargo canisters; in the enhanced versions, it shows up to five items, which can be a mix of cargo canisters and alloy plates. See the code variation for this feature
DK4 Keyboard	The enhanced versions support a new Bitstik configuration option, "B", which toggles the Bitstik when the game is paused. See the code variation for this feature The key logger scans for an additional secondary flight key, "P", which disables the docking computer. See the code variation for this feature
DKJ1 Keyboard	The docking computer in the enhanced versions doesn't dock instantly like the cassette version, but it literally takes control of the ship and docks it for you, steering the ship into the slot by "pressing" the same keys that the player would if they were flying. See the code variation for this feature
DOKEY Keyboard	The Bitstik configuration option only works if joysticks are configured. See the code variation for this feature The docking computer literally takes the controls in the enhanced versions. The DOKEY routine normally scans the keyboard for the primary flight controls, but if the docking computer is enabled, it calls DOCKIT to ask the docking computer how to move the ship, and then it "presses" the relevant keys instead of scanning the keyboard. See the code variation for this feature
EQSHP Equipment	There are up to 14 different types of ship equipment available in the enhanced version, as opposed to 12 in the cassette and Electron versions (the extra options are mining and military lasers). See the code variation for this feature In the enhanced versions, mining and military lasers can be fitted in the Equip Ship screen. See the code variation for this feature
ESCAPE Flight	When trying to spawn a Cobra Mk III to display when we use an escape pod, the enhanced versions will first try to spawn a normal Cobra, and if that fails, they will try again with a pirate Cobra. See the code variation for this feature
gnum Market	When buying or selling cargo in the enhanced versions, you can specify an exact amount of cargo for the transaction, or you can press "Y" to buy/sell everything, or "N" to buy/sell nothing. In the cassette and Electron versions, you have to enter the exact amount you want to buy, and if you want to sell an item, then you have to sell your entire stock of that item, rather than part of it. See the code variation for this feature
KILLSHP Universe	In the enhanced versions, the Constrictor is a special ship, and killing it ends the first mission. See the code variation for this feature In the cassette version, only the escape pod, asteroid and cargo canister are classed as junk. In the enhanced versions, the alloy plate, splinter, Shuttle and Transporter are also junk (and in the advanced versions, rock hermits are also junk). Junk in the vicinity doesn't prevent you from performing an in-system jump - in fact, it gets dragged along for the ride. See the code variation for this feature Ship data blocks have an extra byte in the enhanced versions - the NEWB flags. This gives a total of 37 bytes per ship, compared to 36 bytes in the cassette and Electron versions. See the code variation for this feature
KYTB / IKNS Keyboard	The lookup table for in-flight keyboard controls contains an extra entry in the enhanced versions, for "P" (cancel docking computer). See the code variation for this feature
LL9 (Part 1 of 12) Drawing ships	The enhanced versions have an extra bit (bit 7 of the NEWB flags) that determines whether a ship has been scooped or has finished docking, at which point they are removed from the screen. See the code variation for this feature
Main flight loop (Part 2 of 16) Main loop	To use a Bitsik with the enhanced versions, you need to configure it using the "B" option when paused, otherwise it will act like a normal joystick. See the code variation for this feature If you configure the enhanced versions to use a Bitstik, then you can change the ship's speed up and down by twisting the stick. See the code variation for this feature
Main flight loop (Part 3 of 16) Main loop	In the enhanced versions, the main loop scans for "P" being pressed, which disables the docking computer. See the code variation for this feature If "C" is pressed during flight and we have a docking computer, then in the enhanced versions the docking computer takes control of the ship, unlike in the cassette version, which instantly docks when "C" is pressed. See the code variation for this feature
Main flight loop (Part 8 of 16) Main loop	In the enhanced versions, the high nibble of the first byte of each ship blueprint defines whether a ship is scoopable, and the type of item that we get when we scoop it (so scooping Thargons gives alien items, and so on). The cassette version implements this functionality using hard-coded conditional statements, while the enhanced versions support more flexibility by using the ship data block to determine scoopability. See the code variation for this feature In the enhanced version there is a difference between a ship that has been killed and a ship that has docked or been scooped, unlike in the cassette and Electron versions where they are the same thing. See the code variation for this feature
Main flight loop (Part 11 of 16) Main loop	Ships that have docked or been scooped in the enhanced versions are hidden from the scanner. See the code variation for this feature Only military lasers can harm the Constrictor in mission 1, and then they only inflict a quarter of the damage that military lasers inflict on normal ships. See the code variation for this feature Destroying an asteroid with mining lasers in the enhanced versions will randomly release scoopable splinters, and destroying ships will randomly release not only cargo canisters (as in the cassette and Electron versions) but also alloy plates. See the code variation for this feature
Main flight loop (Part 12 of 16) Main loop	Ships that have docked or been scooped in the enhanced versions are not classed as being killed and are not tested for potential bounties. See the code variation for this feature
Main flight loop (Part 15 of 16) Main loop	The docking computer in the enhanced versions updates its position every 32 iterations round the main loop (on the 15th iteration), at which point it displays "DOCKING COMPUTERS ON" as an in-flight message. See the code variation for this feature
Main game loop (Part 1 of 6) Main loop	Traders in the enhanced versions can spawn in docking mode, in which case they mind their own business. See the code variation for this feature Traders in the enhanced versions can be one of the following: Cobra Mk III, Python, Boa or Anaconda (in the cassette and Electron versions, they are always Cobras). See the code variation for this feature
Main game loop (Part 4 of 6) Main loop	In mission 2, after picking up the plans, there's an extra 22% chance that a Thargoid will spawn (this is on top of the normal spawning rate of pirates, bounty hunters and Thargoids). See the code variation for this feature In the enhanced versions, lone bounty hunters can be in a Cobra Mk III (pirate), Asp Mk II, Python (pirate) or Fer-de-lance, while in the cassette and Electron versions they can be in a Mamba, Python or Cobra Mk III. See the code variation for this feature The Constrictor only spawns in its home system, during the mission 1 endgame, and then it only spawns once... though it can still appear in the ship hangar from time to time. See the code variation for this feature When spawning a pack of pirates in the enhanced versions, the chances of each ship type appearing in the pack are slightly different, with the most likely candidates appearing first in this list: Sidewinder, Mamba, Krait, Adder, Gecko, Cobra Mk I, Worm or Cobra Mk III (pirate). See the code variation for this feature In the enhanced versions, a pack-hunting pirate will fly a Sidewinder, Mamba, Krait, Adder, Gecko, Cobra Mk I, Worm or Cobra Mk III (pirate), while in the cassette version you'll only find them in the cockpit of a Sidewinder or Mamba. See the code variation for this feature
NWSHP Universe	The amount of junk in the enhanced versions is tracked in the JUNK variable. See the code variation for this feature New ships are spawned using the default NEWB flags byte from the E% table, which gives each ship a typical "personality" which is then tailored to the game's needs. The cassette version doesn't have this byte, so ship behaviour is more limited. See the code variation for this feature
NWSPS Universe	Space stations in the enhanced versions are always set to be aggressive if attacked, but they start out friendly; in the cassette and Electron versions, they have no aggression at all until they are attacked. See the code variation for this feature
PRXS Equipment	The equipment prices table in the enhanced versions contains prices for the two new laser types: military lasers at 6000 Cr each, and mining lasers at 800 Cr each. See the code variation for this feature
QQ18 Text	The enhanced versions contain a strange text token 65 that displays your credit balance as "10{cash} CR5{cash} CR" - it isn't used anywhere and doesn't make a whole lot of sense. See the code variation for this feature The enhanced versions encode an extra two-letter token ("RO") in the standard text token table, replacing the author credits, which are moved into the extended token table. See the code variation for this feature There are two new tokens in the text token table for the new laser types in the enhanced versions (token 117 for military lasers and token 118 for mining lasers), and the "ALL" and "LL" tokens that are here in the cassette version move to 124 and 129 respectively. See the code variation for this feature There's a new token in the enhanced versions for showing that the docking computers are currently switched on. It replaces the request for a commander's name, which isn't required as the disc access menu implements that functionality using extended text tokens. See the code variation for this feature The enhanced versions drop token 124 ("DOCK") and replace it with the "ALL" token that was displaced by the new military laser token; instead, "DOCK" is spelled out manually rather than using this token. See the code variation for this feature To make room for the new laser tokens, the enhanced versions drop tokens 147 ("PRESS FIRE OR SPACE,COMMANDER.") and 148 ("(C) ACORNSOFT 1984"), moving them instead to the extended token table. See the code variation for this feature
QUS1 Save and load	The enhanced versions support the entering of disc drive numbers when loading or saving. See the code variation for this feature
RLINE Text	The enhanced versions allow the "{" character in commander names, which is not allowed in the cassette or Electron versions. See the code variation for this feature
SFS1 Universe	On their demise, ships can spawn both cargo canisters and alloy plates in the enhanced versions. See the code variation for this feature
SHIP_ESCAPE_POD Drawing ships	In the enhanced versions, the escape pod ship blueprint contains the information in the high nibble of byte #0 that scooping escape pods gives us slaves. See the code variation for this feature
SHIP_THARGON Drawing ships	In the enhanced versions, the Thargon ship blueprint contains the information in the high nibble of byte #0 that scooping Thargons gives us alien items. See the code variation for this feature
STATUS Status	The Status Mode screen in the enhanced versions supports the new types of laser (military and mining). See the code variation for this feature
SVE Save and load	The enhanced versions show a disc access menu when the "@" key is pressed, which lets you load and save commanders, catalogue discs and delete files. See the code variation for this feature In the disc and 6502SP versions, the competition number is labelled as such when saving. In the cassette version, it is just displayed as a standalone number, without any clues as to what it is, while the Master doesn't show the number at all. See the code variation for this feature
TACTICS (Part 2 of 7) Tactics	The docking computer in the enhanced versions uses its own turning circle configuration, which is different to the turning circle used by the tactics routine, so the latter switches to its own configuration when it starts (as they share configuration variables). See the code variation for this feature The enhanced versions let the NEWB flags determine whether ships should be heading for the planet (which is applied to traders, ships who are docking, escape pods and so on). The cassette and Electron versions are a lot simpler and only send escape pods in the direction of the planet. See the code variation for this feature Space stations in the enhanced versions regularly spawn Transporters and Shuttles that ply their trade between the station and the planet. See the code variation for this feature
TACTICS (Part 3 of 7) Tactics	In the enhanced versions, the NEWB flags are used to determine whether we are dealing with a trader, so traders can fly any ship. In the cassette version, traders only ever fly the Cobra Mk III. See the code variation for this feature In the enhanced versions, AI is are to each ship according to its NEWB flags, which determine whether it is a trader, a bounty hunter, currently docking, a pirate, hostile, an innocent bystander or a cop. See the code variation for this feature
TACTICS (Part 4 of 7) Tactics	In the enhanced versions, Anacondas can spawn other ships. See the code variation for this feature In the enhanced versions, the NEWB flags determine whether or not a ship has an escape pod it can launch when things go south, while in the cassette and Electron versions, every ship has an escape pod fitted. See the code variation for this feature
TACTICS (Part 7 of 7) Tactics	The cassette and Electron versions have fairly basic pitch and roll control over ships when applying AI tactics, whereas the enhanced versions have finer control using the RAT, RAT2 and CNT2 variables, which is particularly useful when the docking computer is in control. See the code variation for this feature The tactics routines to point the ship at the planet are shared with the docking computer. See the code variation for this feature The tactics routines to pitch and roll the ship are shared with the docking computer. See the code variation for this feature
TKN1 Text	The disc and 6502SP versions have an extra token for displaying "COMPETITION NUMBER:" when saving commander files. See the code variation for this feature The Master Compact release has a different title and layout for the drive catalogue screen, as the Compact only supports one drive. See the code variation for this feature
TT102 Keyboard	Pressing "@" brings up the disc access menu in the enhanced versions. See the code variation for this feature Pressing "F" in the enhanced versions when viewing a chart lets us search for systems by name. See the code variation for this feature
TT17 Keyboard	In the enhanced versions, the cursor moves more quickly in the chart views if you hold down SHIFT. See the code variation for this feature
TT210 Market	In the enhanced versions, you can specify how much of each individual commodity you want to sell. In the cassette version, for each commodity you have to choose whether to sell all of your stock, or none. See the code variation for this feature
TT26 / CHPR Text	The standard disc catalogue is just too wide to fit into Elite's special square screen mode, so when printing the catalogue in the enhanced versions, a space is removed from column 17, which is always a blank column in the middle of the catalogue. See the code variation for this feature
TTX66 / TTX66K Drawing the screen	The default case for enhanced text tokens is Sentence Case. See the code variation for this feature
U% Keyboard	Compared to the cassette and Electron versions, the enhanced versions have an extra key in the key logger, for "P" (which turns off the docking computer). See the code variation for this feature