GAMES:Frontier: Elite 2

Frontier: Elite 2
Developer	David Braben
Publisher	GameTek, Konami, now marketed by Frontier Developments
Released	1993
Status	Perfect
Tested on	0.71
Tested game version	Unknown
Links	Compatibility List
Commands
Executable	FRONTIER.EXE
Installer	N/A
Setup	None needed
DOS Extender
DOS4GW.EXE	Unknown
Works with DOS32A	N/A

Frontier: Elite 2 is a space game with so many gameplay features and modes it is hard to sum up in one sentence. The game runs perfectly in newer versions of DOSBox, with the only problem being that the default speed setting (3000 CPU cycles) is too slow for Frontier. Frontier runs best at 8000 CPU cycles. Simply press F12 ten times to get DOSBox up to that level.

Gameplay

The game takes place in the year 3200, and you play as a spaceship pilot who is trying to make money. There are many ways to do so, including piracy, working as a military pilot, mining, transporting people, trading goods, smuggling, bounty hunting, and more. It also features combat, and the ability to land on planets (a rare feature in space games!). That description may sound familiar (Freelancer and EVE Online are similiar), but Frontier has a number of unique features that make it truly unique, and the result is that it is still popular.

Popularity

Despite the fact that the game is ancient, it is still very popular, and has a significant cult following, with an active community at http://www.sharoma.com/frontierverse.

Getting it to run

The game runs *perfectly* in DOSBox. The only thing to know is that the default speed setting (3000 CPU cycles) is too slow. Simply increase the CPU cylces to 8000 (by pressing the F12 key ten times) to get Frontier up that speed.

The fact that Frontier runs perfectly provides a great deal of bragging rights to the DOSBox team. No other Dos emulator available can run Frontier perfectly (DOSEmu and FreeDOS always lock up and crash whenever Frontier is executed). It is usually very difficult to get running. Even in Windows 95/98 pure dos mode, getting it to the run is a huge pain - congrats DOSBox crew for getting one of the best games of all time to run on new PCs.

Getting the game

You can download the game for free from the Frontierverse (http://www.sharoma.com/frontierverse) website. That website also has lots of community development. The frontierverse people regularly release mods and add-ons for the game. They also have a help section teaching you how to play the game.