by doener | 2025-05-31 10:43:56+00:00
"Frontier also had some features that had never been seen before: it was the only game at the time to do a palette-fit every frame to get best use of colours, plus it also featured real sized 1:1 scale planets and star systems."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontier:_Elite_II

From the German Wikipedia, translated by DeepL:

"One outstanding feature of Frontier is its realistic simulation of space flight and the virtual galaxy, which is quite realistic for a game. The simulated Milky Way comprises approximately 100 billion solar systems. Almost every one of these systems has its own pseudo-randomly generated name and individual characteristics. There are systems with one central star and systems with multiple central stars. The size, luminosity, mass, and surface temperature of each star are specified. The planets orbit in elliptical paths and come in various shapes, such as gas giants, substellar objects, or small rocks. Their orbits and axes of rotation can be inclined relative to the ecliptic, and they can also have moons. Star systems in the vicinity of the solar system are modeled according to current astronomical data, e.g., Vega, Barnard's Arrow, Wolf 359, Ross 128, Fomalhaut, Tau Ceti, or Alpha Centauri. Differences from reality exist in the level of detail, in the simulation of the other systems with a deterministic pseudo-random number generator, and in the distribution of the systems, which are simulated in a flatter and more uniform distribution than is actually the case in a spiral galaxy. The known laws of physics regarding gravity, inertia, acceleration, and momentum apply to interplanetary flight. To accelerate a spacecraft, the propulsion system is activated. If the propulsion system is switched off, the spacecraft does not come to a standstill but continues on its trajectory in accordance with the law of inertia. The flight path is naturally influenced by the gravity of the various celestial bodies. The realistic simulation even allows the player to use the swing-by method. The laws of physics also apply to space stations. Space stations are positioned at Lagrange points around a planet and generate artificial gravity through rotation. To land in a space station, the pilot must match the rotation of their spacecraft to that of the station. Even the passage of time is simulated realistically. Spacecraft use acceleration of several Gs for interplanetary flight, between 6 G and 30 G depending on the type of spacecraft (for comparison, the Eurofighter Typhoon accelerates at approximately 0.8 G). A flight from Earth to Mars thus takes several hours. In the game, the player uses a time acceleration mechanism to reduce the travel time to a few seconds. This mechanism is explained in the manual as a time perception-altering drug available to the pilot in the spacecraft. This drug was developed after numerous pilots, bored during space flight, steered their spaceships into stellar objects just to finally experience something again, and thus lost their lives. For interstellar flight, the spaceships have a hyperspace drive (see also Fourth Dimension), which creates a wormhole that the pilot subjectively flies through in a few seconds, but objectively in a few days. Even the combat simulation is very realistic. Since there is no sound-transmitting medium in space, you can only hear the propulsion of your own spacecraft, if it is switched on. You cannot hear the propulsion of other spacecraft. The audible sounds of enemy weapon systems are generated by your own on-board computer. The spacecraft are equipped with laser or plasma acceleration weapons. Laser beams travel at the speed of light and accelerated plasma travels at nearly the speed of light, so these weapons show no noticeable delay. To engage another ship, it is not enough to choose a flight path that crosses the flight path of the other ship. Due to the different flight vectors and inertia, the ships would race past each other without the pilots even seeing each other. Instead, a flight path must be chosen that aligns with the flight path of the other ship in such a way that the ships end up in approximately the same position and vector. This is usually done using the autopilot. Some players find the realism excessive and difficult. Other players see the high degree of realism as a particular appeal of the game."

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontier:_Elite_II

The intro soundtrack still gets me: https://youtu.be/uqM5ivj4VTA