Elite Dreams

Remember “Elite?”  I used to play it on my Atari 520 ST back in the mid 80s.  For those who never had the pleasure, you played a small spaceship captain trying to trade your way to fortune, or a docking computer.  Yes, buying that docking computer meant that you could sit back and watch the vector graphics while Strauss’ “Blue Danube Waltz” piped over the midi and your ship came safely into port (Unless some yahoo launched right in front of you.  Thank Reagan for firing the air traffic controllers).  

Last night I dreamt I was playing an Elitesque-game, but one that got meds from Barry Bonds.  I had a third person view when piloting my ship but was really there when investigating an abandoned space station (and grabbing whatever loot I could find ... you know, salvage rights).  I’m not sure who I was playing against, but whoever they were had made an early purchase of weapon upgrades for their ship, while I went weaponless but got the much more expensive teleportation device.  This proved handy for me since I got to make short hops and evade small bands of pirates.  After my first salvage score I popped over to the bank to sell my wares, but learned through a contact that I could get a better deal though an auction house.  After that sale, I made my ship a little Defiant and earned cash and prestige by hunting every pirate I could find (on the easier levels).

So, a good time, in fact the best time I’ve had gaming in months ... since I haven’t gamed on the PC in months.  Maybe my brain is sending me a pixilated signal?