Play Frontier: First Encounters Online

Frontier: First Encounters is a space simulation game released in 1995 for MS-DOS. It was developed by Frontier Developments Ltd. and published by GameTek, Inc. This title continues the Elite series, set in a period where humanity is engaged in internal conflict between the Federation and Imperial forces, while facing a renewed threat from the alien Thargoid race.

Players begin the game with a modest ship and a small amount of credits, operating as an independent pilot within a vast open universe. The core progression involves earning credits through various activities, including trading commodities, undertaking military assignments, and mining resources. A significant addition is a structured narrative centered on the Thargoid conflict, which is advanced by reading in-game newspapers and accepting specific, scripted missions tied to this storyline. These missions differ from the randomly generated tasks available elsewhere and can offer unique rewards, such as access to otherwise unavailable spacecraft.

Gameplay systems build upon the foundation of its predecessors, featuring Newtonian physics-based flight controls that require management of a ship's velocity and orientation. The range of available missions is broad, with military operations expanded to include espionage tasks, such as photographic reconnaissance, and bombing runs. Trading and mining remain fundamental economic activities, providing a persistent framework for players to build wealth and reputation while navigating the political tensions of the human factions and the overarching alien threat.