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⌂ ∞ ▽ Elite on the 6502

Elite Compendium

Bringing all the best Elite hacks together in one feature-packed disc

The Elite Compendium is a collection of the very best of Acornsoft Elite, updated with as many hacks and enhancements as I've been able to fit in. If you're looking to play 8-bit Elite, then this is a pretty good place to start.

The Compendium is available in two versions: one for the BBC Master, and one for the BBC Micro with 16K of sideways RAM. The BBC Master version contains the following goodies:

The menu for the BBC Master version of the Elite Compendium

and the BBC Micro version looks like this:

The menu for the BBC Micro version of the Elite Compendium

The two versions of the Compendium are similar, but the BBC Micro version comes with BBC Micro cassette Elite instead of BBC Master Elite.

All the extra features in the Compendium have been backported from other versions of 6502 Elite, so everything is part of the official Elite canon.

These are the most important extra features in the Compendium:

FeatureDetailsTaken from
Flicker-freeI've added flicker-free ships and planets using the algorithm from the BBC Master (read more about flicker-free Elite)BBC Master
MusicI've added the music from the Commodore 64 version, with two different tunes and options to swap tunes, disable music and change the volume (read more about musical Elite)Commodore 64
VolumeI've added volume control for all sound effects (pause the game and use "<" and ">" to change the volume of music and sound effects)BBC Master
TrumblesI've backported the non-sprite version of the Trumbles mission from the NES version (read more about the Trumbles mission)NES
Docking

I've backported a number of docking computer improvements from the NES version, to make auto-docking a bit more enjoyable:

  • The docking computer can no longer kill you
  • The station no longer spawns traders, like Transporters or Shuttles, while the docking computer is activated
  • Once you're inside the station's safe zone and you've activated your docking computer, you can press "J" to dock instantly
  • There's a fee of five credits for using your docking computer, charged at the point of activation (and if you don't have enough cash, you'll have to dock manually)
NES
Fuel scoopsFuel scoops will only work when you are moving, which makes a lot more senseNES
JoysticksWhen joysticks are enabled, the "fire laser" key on the keyboard is no longer disabled, so you can have one hand on the stick and one on the keyboardBBC Master
Delta 14BTaking inspiration from Angus Duggan's Elite-A, I've added full support for the Voltmace Delta 14B joystick, so if you are lucky enough to own one of these and the accompanying 14B/1 adaptor box, you can now fly your Cobra Mk III without relying on the keyboardElite-A

These improvements appear in all versions of Elite in the Compendium, with the exception of BBC Micro cassette Elite, which doesn't include the Trumbles (as that version doesn't include missions).

There are quite a few other features in the Compendium, so here's a breakdown of everything you get on the disc:

VersionExtra enhancements in the Elite Compendium
BBC Master 128 Elite
  • Includes all the enhancements shown above (flicker-free, music, volume, Trumbles, docking, fuel scoops, joysticks and Delta 14B)
  • Enemies have red lasers rather than cyan, just like the 6502 Second Processor version
  • I've fixed the following bugs from the original release:
    • Deleting a file no longer breaks the "save commander" option, unlike in the official release
    • The Data on System screen now works for all systems (in the official release, it breaks for some systems - for example, visiting Biarge during the Constrictor mission will hang the game)
    • The Moray can now be spawned as a bounty hunter, albeit rarely (in the official release, the Moray never spawns at all, and the ship is never seen in-game)
  • Only included in the BBC Master version of the Compendium
6502 Second Processor Elite
  • Includes all the enhancements shown above (flicker-free, music, volume, Trumbles, docking, fuel scoops, joysticks and Delta 14B)
  • I've slowed down spaceflight so it's about the same speed as standard Elite, as otherwise the game is all but unplayable on the super-fast co-processor (though the power of the co-pro still ensures that there is minimal slowdown when things get busy)
  • I've fixed the following bugs from the original release:
    • The Data on System screen now works for all systems (in the official release, it breaks for some systems - for example, visiting Biarge during the Constrictor mission will hang the game)
    • The Moray can now be spawned as a bounty hunter, albeit rarely (in the official release, the Moray never spawns at all, and the ship is never seen in-game)
BBC Micro disc Elite
  • Includes all the enhancements shown above (flicker-free, music, volume, Trumbles, docking, fuel scoops, joysticks and Delta 14B)
  • I've updated the original 1984 release to run on the Master as well as the BBC Micro (read more about BBC Micro disc Elite on the BBC Master)
BBC Micro cassette Elite
  • Includes all the enhancements shown above except for the Trumbles mission (so that's flicker-free, music, volume, docking, fuel scoops, joysticks and Delta 14B)
  • You can now save and load commanders from disc, though to keep the experience authentic, there are no options for cataloguing the disc, changing drive number or deleting files; instead, commanders are only supported on drive 0 (in directory E, as with the disc version), and you have to know the name of the commander to load in advance
  • Note that all docking in this version is already instant, so simply engaging the docking computer will take you to the docking bay (there's no need to press "J")
  • Only included in the BBC Micro version of the Compendium
Teletext Elite
  • Includes all the enhancements shown above (flicker-free, music, volume, Trumbles, docking, fuel scoops, joysticks and Delta 14B)
  • This is BBC Micro disc Elite, converted to run entirely in teletext mode 7 for peak 1980s nostalgia (read more about Teletext Elite)
Elite Universe Editor
  • Create your own universes and "press play" to see them come to life
  • Comes with seven example universes, including the iconic screenshots from the Acornsoft and Commodore 64 game boxes
  • The BBC Micro version requires a 6502 Second Processor
  • Read more about the Elite Universe Editor, where you can also find full instructions

Because of the extra memory required by all these Elite hacks, the Compendium needs a BBC Master 128 or a BBC Micro with 16K of sideways RAM. You will also need a 6502 co-processor if you want to play the 6502 Second Processor version of Elite or the BBC Micro version of the Elite Universe Editor.

Apart from Teletext Elite and the Elite Universe Editor, all of the hacks included in the Compendium are 100% canon - they are all taken from official versions of 6502 Elite, as noted above. This means they were all written by Elite's authors, Ian Bell and David Braben (with Aidan Bell and Julie Dunn composing the music). So, for example, the flicker-free drawing algorithm is from BBC Master Elite, the music comes from the Commodore 64 version, the docking computer enhancements are from the NES version, the red enemy lasers are from the 6502 Second Processor version, and so on.

So the Compendium is effectively a Greatest Hits of the original Elite, and in terms of gameplay, nothing new has been added; it's all original Bell and Braben brilliance, just backported to work on the BBC Master and BBC Micro.

What else is on the disc?
-------------------------

The Compendium also contains three commander files on drive 0, which you can load into any version of Elite via the save and load menu (press "Y" on the title screen or press "@" when docked):

  • MISS1 is for those who want to play the Constrictor mission; load it, launch from the station, dock once again (you have a docking computer) and the mission will start.
  • MISS2 is for those who want to play the Thargoid Plans mission, and you can trigger it in the same way.
  • MAX is a maxed-out commander to let you hit the ground running.

All of these commanders will also trigger the Trumbles mission when you dock:

The Trumbles mission on the BBC Master in the Elite Compendium

If you load MISS1 or MISS2, then the Trumble mission will be offered on your second docking, as the first docking will trigger the missions shown above; if you load MAX, then the Trumbles will be offered on your first docking. Remember that the Compendium implements instant docking with the docking computer, so the quickest way to trigger a mission is to load the relevant commander file, then press f0 to launch, "C" to activate the docking computer, "J" to insta-dock, and then you will be offered the mission.

The Compendium also contains a full collection of universe files on drive 2, which you can load into the Elite Universe Editor. See the Universe Editor instructions for details.