From: daly@ecs.umass.edu (Bryon Daly, ECE dept, UMass, Amherst)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games
Subject: Elite == Galactic Trader ? Was: Re: Elite Plus, Tribble
Date: 6 Nov 92 20:10:03 GMT

In article <1992Nov6.135059.28198@dcs.warwick.ac.uk>, markhill@dcs.warwick.ac.uk (M Hill) writes:
> In article <1321@ozz.oasis.icl.co.uk> imb@oasis.icl.co.uk (Ian Brown) writes:
>>orion okotu auld (oauld@ponder.csci.unt.edu) wrote:
>>Elite first appeared on the BBC micro (ACORN) back 79/80 I think, with
>>just four missions no asteriods miners or any other funnies!
> 
> Outta here! Elite was written first for the Acorn BBC Microcomputer
> (a 6502 based machine). The tape version had asteroids, but not the disk
> version (the extra OS support for the disk version took up too much of
> the 32k (!) of memory). It was released in 1984 to much acclaim here in
> the UK. Since then there have been several versions for the BBC Micro,
> and many conversions. It's the first game I can remember with a novella
> to set the atmosphere. I can't remember the name of the two guys who
> wrote it, but one of them is working on a sequel.

This discussion of the roots of Elite got me thinking about its similarities
to a game on our VAX called Galactic Trader.  I don't just mean conceptual
similarities, I mean identical elements in both games, such as:
- name/stats of ship type players start out with
- names/stats of some enemy ships
- trade goods are the same
- many weapons and items are the same
- pilot rating system similar (eg: ELITE = top rank)
- planetary classifications are similar

The main differences:
- Gal Trader is text only.
- Gal Trader is a multi player game (you wouldn't believe how much fun that can
be....space duels....intergalactic chases...bounties on someone's head)   :-)
- Gal Trader lets players purchase different ships
- Gal Trader is semi-real time with respect to other players, but incremental
against the computer (the computer moves enemies after you do you move).
- Gal Trader probably doesn't have missions (I can't say for sure, but then
I'm not entirely convinced Elite does either....)
- Elite is graphical and much more arcade/action based.

My theory:
Gal Trader, or some earlier incarnation of such originated as a multiplayer
game on minicomputers, with freely distributed source.  Some company picks
up the source, and ports it to the microcomputer world, replacing the
multiplayer network features micros are weak on with enhanced graphics
that micros are better at.  And there you have Elite.

Why not first on the micros, and then on the minis?
Well, if a company created the game, and then a virtual clone of the game
were distributed freely across many minicomputers, there would probably be 
some lawsuits, to say the least...Whereas if the game started as freely
distributed source for minis, and someone modified it into a commercial game 
for micros, nothing (lawsuitwise) could be done....(Part of the reason for
the GNU copyleft is to prevent such things from happening to GNU sources). 

So, what do you guys think?  Does anybody know for sure?

-Bryon

PS - If anyone knows where to find the source for Gal Trader, I'd love to 
know, so I can check it out....