We will be hosting an Elite over Econet competition for the duration of the Econet LAN Party, with a multiplayer scoreboard running all weekend.
Everyone is welcome to join in! All you need is one of the following machines on the Econet network:
- BBC Micro
- BBC Micro with 16K sideways RAM, B+ or B+ 128
- BBC Master
- 6502 Second Processor
- Electron with 16K sideways RAM
- Earlier 32-bit machine (with RISC OS 3.10+)
- Risc PC
If you don’t have your own machine, then there is a whole room of networked Arcs and Beebs that you can use to join in. And you don’t even have to be inside the museum; you can also join in if you are on the Econet Cloud.
Here’s a reminder of the keys used to play Elite:
8-bit Keys
< or > Roll TAB Energy Bomb
S or X Dive/Climb ESC Escape Capsule
SPACE or ? + / - Speed C Docking Computer
A Fire Laser H Hyperspace
T Target Missile J Game Skip
M Fire Missile @ Save Menu
U Unarm Missile DEL/COPY Un/Pause
E ECM32-bit Keys
MOUS Roll/Dive/Climb E ECM
CAPSLOCK Damping TAB Energy Bomb
R MOUS ESC Escape Capsule
or M MOUSE + / - Speed C Docking Computer On
L MOUS Fire Laser D Docking Computer Off
T Target Missile H Hyperspace
M Fire Missile J Game Skip
U Unarm Missile F12 DesktopHow to join in: 8-bit players
(BBC Micro, B+, B+ 128, BBC Master, 6502 Second Processor or Electron)
Load Elite over Econet. You can either run it from your own server, or you can run it like this:
*I AM 6.252 ELITE (for those at the events)
*I AM 26.252 ELITE (for those external to the events)If you want to install it on your own server, see the installation page at bbcelite.com/econet
Optionally load the MAX commander. You probably want to do this, as competing without an “Iron Ass” is pretty hardcore. But do whatever you like! To load a commander, either choose Y from the title screen or press @ when docked.
Now save your commander under your chosen player name (choose Y from the title screen or press @ when docked). Try to make your commander name unique to you; choose the catalogue option from the menu to make sure your chosen name isn't already taken. You must set your commander name before joining the competition! Otherwise everyone will be called Jameson or Max…
When your commander is ready to compete, press COPY to pause the game, then press N to bring up the network configuration screen. Enter the scoreboard details:
Network = 6 (for those at the event)
Network = 26 (for those external to the event)
Station = 19
Port = 63
Reset = Y or N
This doesn't matter but choosing Y will set your kill/death count to zeroPlay Elite. Your score should appear on the scoreboard.
If you want to take a break, dock with a station and save your commander (press @). When you want to continue again, run Elite and load your commander, do COPY and N again to set up the scoreboard, and you should be where you left off.
How to join in: 32-bit players
(Earlier machines with RISC OS 3.10+, Risc PC)
Install Archimedes Elite and the EliteNet application on your machine. For download links, see the installation page at bbcelite.com/econet
Run Elite so that it appears on the icon bar. Optionally load the MAX commander that comes with EliteNet. You probably want to do this, as competing without an Iron Ass is pretty hardcore. But do whatever you like! To load the MAX commander, just double-click the commander file. Now save your commander under your chosen player name (from the Elite icon bar menu). Try to make your commander name unique to you. Note that only the first seven characters will make it to the scoreboard, as that's the size of 8-bit commander names, so you might want to stick to that limit. You must set your commander name before joining the competition! Otherwise everyone will be called Jameson or Max…
When your commander is ready to compete, run EliteNet, enter the scoreboard details and enable transmissions:
Station = 6.019, Port = 63 (for those inside the museum)
Station = 26.019, Port = 63 (for those outside the museum)Play Elite. Your score should appear on the scoreboard.
If you want to take a break, dock with a station, return to the Desktop, save your commander from Elite's icon bar menu, and save your scores from EliteNet's icon bar menu. When you want to continue again, run Elite and load your commander, then run EliteNet and load your scores file, and you should be where you left off.
Some notes on competing
We will start with an empty scoreboard at 10am on Saturday morning and will leave it running until 4pm on Sunday afternoon.
Kudos and salutes to the person with the most kills at the end of the weekend, and to the person with the most credits, both across all platforms, and on 8-bit and 32-bit. There are no prizes beyond the eternal admiration of your fellow commanders.
If anyone is mad enough to compete with the default commander (i.e. 100 credits, one pulse laser), then the winners in this category will get kudos, salutes and a sense of awe.
If you are outside the museum and you disconnect and reconnect your machine, your allocated station number may change. This will make your score appear as a new entry, using the new station number. If this happens we will clear up the duplicate score from the scoreboard, keeping the later score. We can also remove Jameson or Max commanders for anyone who forgets to rename their commander before joining the competition.
Please don't change your commander name during the competition. If you do need to do this, no problem, just let us know so we can remove any duplicate scores.
You can see the scoreboard from any Econet machine using *VIEW with the station number of the scoreboard. Note that *VIEW is a bit unreliable over the cloud, so you may have problems if you are outside the museum. If you can't get *VIEW to work, ask the team for alternatives.
Please do not use *REMOTE to access the scoreboard, as it will crash it. We will be saving the scores manually at regular intervals, but please, no shenanigans with the scoreboard.
Full instructions on scoreboard use can be found in the scoreboard page at bbcelite.com/econet