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1. What is The Elite Bar? [Back]

I heard you the first time.

The Elite Bar is, in practical terms, a "channel" on the StarChat IRC service. It provides an area in which members of the elite community meet and, essentially, act "in character" as inhabitants of the Frontier Elite Universe. Try selling that one door-to-door. Admittedly, it does sound just a bit on the bizarre side of weird. Thankfully, most people who enjoy Elite, Frontier, FFE and the Frontier Elite Universe they inhabit are blessed with a sense of good humour and perspective on reality that makes the whole experience easy to digest without fear of overdose. In the case of most of the regulars, this is down to good healthy mountain air and full-bodied real ale. For everyone else, I can only attribute it to luck.

2. Why? [Back]

The games on which the FEU is based are all free-form space adventures, with no constraints imposed on the player's actions. You're free to go where you like and do what you want. The sort of people these games appeal to are by nature imaginative and creative folk, and the games themselves express this. The opinion that a great number of people who enjoy the FEU games enjoy the opportunity to take the universe beyond the game itself has been vindicated over the past few years by the amount of fiction writing and fictionalised websites appearing. Possibly due to the age of the games, the fiction aspect of the elite community online is now easily the equal if not the superior of the previous literal "game-oriented" aspect. The Elite Bar, in which Commanders can meet and interact in real-time, is just one of the many outlets for this aspect of the community.

3. What is IRC? [Back]

IRC stands for "Internet Relay Chat" - this is another of the many faces of the Internet, as are the web or Usenet. You may be familiar with the newsgroup alt.fan.elite, or the web-based Elite BBS. IRC, through a client such as the popular mIRC, consists of a vast number of so-called "chat rooms", providing real-time meeting places. Just as Usenet and the WWW were once slated as the very tools of Satan, so IRC (and its web-based derivatives) have recently borne the brunt of media attention as havens of iniquity and moral corruption. This may well be true. Thankfully, much like a newsgroup, an IRC channel exists in isolation; the prospective user need experience nothing beyond the Elite Bar unless they want to. The mIRC homepage linked above provides a much more complete description of IRC, along with instructions for connecting to servers.

4. If I want to visit the Elite Bar, where do I go and when do I go there? [Back]

The Elite Bar is run from 20:00 GMT until Late, every Friday night. Although the Elite Bar is accessible 24hrs a day all year round, there obviously has to be an agreed time scheduled for the benefit of all. It's worth pointing out that this time makes it possible for those on the US East Coast to attend in the mid-afternoon.

As for where to go, the Elite Bar channel is called #theelitebar and can be found on the StarChat IRC service ONLY. You must connect to a StarChat server if you want to find the Elite Bar. This is worth mentioning, because the wholly unrelated channel of the Elite newsgroup #afe is on Vaponet - if you want to use both at the same time, you'll have to launch separate sessions of your IRC client. It does not matter which StarChat server you choose - try the one closest to you geographically (the best in Europe are the Scandinavian servers). Type /join #theelitebar once you're connected to the server.

The easy alternative to using mIRC - although by far inferior to it - is to use TEB's own IRC portal. This is limited to StarChat and the channels #theelitebar and #elitenonsense only, so regular IRC users won't get much use out of it. On the bonus side, it requires absolutely no technical knowledge whatsoever. You simply type in a name, click connect and begin to chat!

If you have any problems related to connecting to IRC or joining #theelitebar, e-mail me or ask on the Elite BBS (See BBS, left). Don't inquire via alt.fan.elite, because I don't often read it.

5. Enough of the practicalities. What IS The Elite Bar? [Back]

The Elite Bar itself is a haunt of commanders from all over the known galaxy. Traders, bounty-hunters, assassins, corporate police and other various nefarious and renowned individuals comprise its varied clientele. And it's not an easy place to find. It resides on the distant world once known as Nirvana, in the system of BeBeCe (-8,-11). The sole inhabited world of the system, and a former Federal colony, Nirvana or BeBeCe One (now known largely as "Here" or "BeBeCe"  to the locals) is truly an Edge world. Since it was abandoned by the Federation in the early 3260's, the precarious climate controls have failed, returning the planet to its natural state. And what a state that is.

The world, for the most part, is a marsh. One single, planet-wide expanse of moss, reeds, mud and rock, that exists, remarkably, atop a cold, shallow, freshwater ocean. The moss itself forms the majority of the surface of the world, growing up to sixty feet in depth in places. In parts, outcrops of rock punctuate the moss layer, and it is on and around such islands that buildings such as the Elite Bar are constructed.

The Elite Bar itself is a rugged timber and stone construction, with oaken beams and stone flags on the floor, a roaring fire and gas central heating. It is a storm-battered and ancient structure, with many additions and signs of hasty and unexpected subtractions. It is alone on the desolate, windswept marsh, though it's far from being a lonely place. A light always shines from the windows (unless someone's forgotten to replace a bulb), and the fire always burns in the hearth (unless the firelighters have run out and the coal is damp, or something's stuck in the chimney). The local ale - known simply as "Brown" - is always on tap, or at least it would be if the tap worked. Anyway, there's usually an open barrel behind the bar. Although it's nearly always raining, the watertight seals on the roof and windows are remarkably good.

The Bar-Keep himself is known simply as Bar-Keep. He is a local (aye, 'appen as maybes, them's fair l'od'o' dog's f'ut show back a' Skidda, aye, dogs a'mane) but, you'll be pleased to know, speaks Galactic Standard with faultless clarity. Although he's not old enough to retire from a life in space, he has done so anyway. Once a Krait pilot and trader, his trips into space these days are confined to gu'urn t't shops and occasional sorties to other systems for reasons unspecified. As befits the owner of the most prestigious atmospheric secret society bar in the galaxy, he is mysterious and may not be entirely real.

Fig. 1a: Structure of the BeBeCe Marsh

See "Who is..." for more Elite Bar Background.

6. Heck. What do I do? [Back]

You can figure that one out for yourself. Act in character (it's not a strict rule, it won't be enforced, it's a matter of etiquette), as an inhabitant of the Frontier Elite Universe. Come as you are (or as you're not). Have fun!

7. Are their any rules? [Back]

There are no rules as such - the Elite Bar is not a formal role-playing system. What you say and do is up to you - if there is a flow, go with it. If you act like an idiot, making loud, abusive and non-constructive comments incessantly, to the detriment of the enjoyment of others, you will be warned and if you fail to calm down, shown the door (it is possible to ban people from IRC channels, mercifully - fear not, I would never abuse this system). If you are familiar with EBBS, the standards of behaviour and language expected are comparable. If you are familiar with a.f.e or #afe, the standards of behaviour and language demonstrated on these forums are a shining example of how NOT to behave in TEB. That said, a.f.e. is taking a turn for the better these days (correct me if I'm wrong).

Then again, TEB is not a puritanical institution. Feel free to swear, drink heavily and fight with your fellow commanders. So long as you are convincing and know when to stop (clues may be provided), you're fine. As for cracking tasteless dirty jokes, be aware that Old Mr. Brown, a vicious owl, is now acting as the self-appointed sexual innuendo police of The Elite Bar. His talons are sharp - quip at your own risk.

8. What about "out-of-character" discussion? [Back]

If you want to engage Elite fans and fellow bar patrons in real-world IRC discussions, try #elitenonsense. This channel is also on StarChat, so you only need one session of mIRC running. Just type /join #elitenonsense in the status window. If you were wondering, #eliteproject still fulfils the real-world discussion requirements of many affiliated with the project.

9. How is TEP these days, anyway? [Back]

Dead, as far as I know...

10. Is there any relationship between TEB and EBBS? How about The Elite Club? How about #afe? [Back]

There is a strong relationship between TEB and EBBS, which both serve the same aspect of the elite community. I am extremely grateful to EBBS and its creator, Dylan Smith, for playing a part in the rejuvenation of TEB.

As for the Elite Club, there is no relationship at all, nor is there likely to be, unless TEC wants to subsidise the creation of TEB merchandise (beer mats, please!). I have yet to see Andrew Gillet in TEB, though I here he does appear in #afe on occasion.

As for #afe itself, there is no relationship whatsoever in the slightest. The attitudes of the clientele of the two are, shall we say, oppositely polarised, for the most part. It is a general discussion channel which has, like the newsgroup it represents, not as much as you'd think to do with Frontier or Elite. There is no co-operation or competition between the two channels, which do different things on different servers and are, for the most part, happy with that.

11. Has Ian Bell or David Braben ever visited TEB? [Back]

DB has never visited TEB. IB may have visited TEB, but I don't think so. I'm fairly certain he hasn't. I would be extremely happy if either of these individuals, or anyone involved in the creation of the Frontier/Elite universe (Kathy Braben, Manda Scott, Tony Dillon, etc. or any of the contributing authors) were to make a visit. However, I understand that an unmoderated IRC channel may be a dicey prospect for either of the two B's. If they or members of Frontier Developments want reassurance that TEB will be TEB should they turn up at the specified time, and not degenerate into a searching interview on the topic of the moment, they can have it. I retain control of the channel at all times, anyway. If any of them are reading this and considering a visit, they should get in touch with me at the address at the top of this page.

You never know, do you? ;-)

12. How and when did TEB start? [Back]

Actually, in October 2003. At least, the refurbishment brought the old place back to life then, but it has a much longer history than that...

13. 2003? Where did I hear that The Elite Bar was even older than this? [Back]

The following is an extract from Bee's information in the original TEB website:

In 1996, back in the days when alt.fan.elite was a respected (and, indeed, the only) meeting place for fans of the games, a certain number of people decided to create a sequel to the Frontier Elite series known as The Elite Project. Sometime in early 1997, the members of the project began to meet on an IRC channel known as #eliteproject. As was the case with most things in the early days of TEP, these meetings were long and contained very little of actual use. Soon, people turning up to them began to grow a little tired of talking about TEP all the time, and in an idle moment of inspiration which I can't now remember, I created a separate channel known as #theelitebar. Within the space of a week or two, TEB was established in the setting it still inhabits; Rob Pfeifer, Jades and several other members of TEP were its early customers, and a good time was had by all.

When #eliteproject moved to DALnet, #theelitebar moved with it. As the project grew in popularity, so did the bar. The summer of '97 through to the winter of '98 is regarded by many as its heyday. From about November of 1998, attendance started to drop. This can be attributed to many factors - enough seriously competent programmers had arrived to get started with the real work of TEP, and the meetings grew slightly superfluous. People's lives moved on, and the departure of Rob Pfeifer, Chris (SAvatar) and others from the project and from the Elite scene in general didn't help matters. By august of 1999, TEB was all but empty.

However, thanks to the explosion of interest in the fiction side of the FEU in recent months, TEB has undergone something of a re-birth. The launch of the website last October and the emergence of such sites as AliothNet and Frontierverse helped to stimulate interest, and the "New" elite community started to wander through the creaky old oak doors. Such is the renewed interest in the bar that former regulars (including, much to everyone's surprise, Rob Pfeifer) are starting to filter back. With the continued interest and growth of the likes of EBBS, TEB can only gain momentum from now on. It still needs your support!

In 1997, Bee-Keep I made a surprising discovery while reading a text-file called frn-news.txt, that formed part of the very small number of Frontier-Elite related downloads from places such as JvD's Lave Station and Case's Frontier Site. This file contained a transcript, log, archive or whatever of a GEnie "Roundtable" discussion created on December 11th 1993 - shortly after the release of Frontier: Elite 2 - by one Robert Coleman.

GEnie was an "internet service" that, like CompuServe and others, predated the widespread Web access and html dominance of today. Largely text-based, so-called Roundtable discussions were very similar to mailing lists in format, like a primitive, non-threaded version of EBBS. Each roundtable had a topic, and this one was "Frontier: Elite 2". Here's the opening message:

The wait is over! Take off and explore new worlds in the space combat and trading game that is guaranteed to keep you strapped into your computer chair for months to come. This game is awesome in its scope.

The rest of the discussion until the logs end in April '94 concerns the trials and tribulations of the very first online Elite Community as they explore the recently released Frontier (predominately on the Atari). Here are publicised such revelations as the wormhole system, among non-starters such as believing that things said in the gazetteer have any influence on gameplay. They thought the game had far more depth than it actually did, but they never seemed to be too disappointed ;-).

The discussions aren't the most interesting part, though. The transcript contains these two obscure references:

Eventually, I'll make it back to Federated space and see some of my old ports-of-call.

And:

Surprised? I certainly was! I almost wish I had been inspired by The Elite Bar and Grill, so I didn't have to keep mentioning that I wasn't! The Elite community is a funny thing, though, and I was very pleased to discover that I had been unwittingly continuing its oldest institution! I spent ages carrying out some detective work via the miracle that is the internet, and eventually found one or two of these people to enlighten me on the subject of the Elite Bar and Grill. In the words of Robert Coleman himself:

"The Elite Bar and Grill was fashioned after the Moss Eisley (spelling might not be correct) Cantina of Star Wars fame. However, this one was on a space station in the Frontier:Elite Universe. The idea was to create a place for gamers to meet, discuss strategy, trade information about star systems and planets they had visited, and places to buy and sell items for the best profit. Pilots would discuss contracts they had taken, planets where pirate activity was heavy, and the best type of ships to buy and how to outfit them. It was really a lot of fun."

- Bob "Redeye" Coleman

Bob was very happy to hear the Elite Community was still going strong, and said he would "make his presence known" again someday. This, sadly, was at a time when the Bar was at its lowest ebb and EBBS didn't exist. He may be more likely to return now, and perhaps one of these days when I'm sure to be at TEB I'll ask him to stop by.

Sharp eyed members of Old Mr. B's detail-spotting club will notice something curiously amusing about a mis-spelling in the first line of Bob's quote.

[Back]

See Also The Elite Bar L.F.A.Q