Elite Dangerous.. Not ready but obviously amazing

So I have been playing with the beta version of Elite Dangerous, the game "Elite" which started my love of computers and gaming when I was a child in the 80's soaked up a lot of hours of my life on a BBC B. No game has captured so many in a role playing simulation back in those days. Now here we are many years and grey hairs later with Elite Dangerous. Possibly one of the most anticipated space games which has been crowd funded. Definitely in my top 5 list of awaited games.

The beta is exactly what it says....a beta. An un-finished product which has problems, bugs, and hiccups and limited gameplay mechanics. Although I have just said that, please note as for beta versions and the way they work.... this indeed is rather polished and beautiful, very beautiful and definitely very playable.

Immediately I have been hooked exactly as I was in my youth and have become once again "Commander Jameson" ready to undock and be rather rapidly be shot to bits. The game is epic, its vastness is incomprehensible. I think the game has something like 400,000,000,000 (yep...400 billion) stars which all are visitable. Not that you could in your lifetime. It has a full economic balancing system and trading routes which can be altered by product demand and market flooding.  Trading? I hate trading games, what other options are there? Well plenty you will be pleased to know. Most people like the idea of being a space pirate. Less number crunching and more hull crunching. Okay feel free, its an open world with NPC and human players in the vast deepness of space. Combat is hard, but definitely a skill to learn and a skill that can be mastered. The mechanics feel right and there sure is satisfaction to see a ship pop infront of your eyes and rubble fly past your cockpit.  You could explore too. Plenty of systems will pay for market or planetary knowledge. Really their is infinite ways to play. David Braben the creator of Elite and Elite Dangerous said "This is your story, their is no pre defined way to play, no built in story, its all about your story and interaction with the environment".

I have put a fair few hours in as a trader but more recently decided to go in on distress beacons choose a faction and claiming bounties for my kills.  Its definitely harder than trading but much more rewarding. Money can be made and money will buy you better ships with larger cargo capacities or modern tech and weapons.  Their is a ton of interaction in the ship too. As a pilot you are given a lot of control over the systems of your ship. Each system you shut down reduces your heat signature... so you can sit in space awaiting your prey. Power up your systems and pounce.


It really is a very pleasurable experience and this game has a bright bright future. Everything looks like it is being heavily thought about and if it does not work it is either re-written until it does or it is scrapped. So to round off what I am on about..... download the beta. Play it... see it for yourself. I'm ending this right now because I want to fly a quick trade route before sleepy time.  Its incredible. Looks beautiful and plays magnificently.

CANT WAIT FOR THE FINISHED VERSION!!!!!