Multiplayer online Elite-style game?

[Tjomp]

There is an golden oldie for windows called Freelancer which is exactly like you describe. You can play it offline in campaign mode or online on one of the many servers available. There are also some very nice community made addons for it that gives access to ships like X-Ving and Tie fighters found in StarWars or Organic Vorlon ships like those in Babylon 5.
I picked it up in a games shop for 50NOK about two years ago.

For more info see this link : http://www.microsoft.com/games/freelancer/


Tjomp
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Don´t eat yellow snow.

[Tjomp]

>Freelancer looks great! Do you know if the demo lets you play online?


I never tried the online demo, so I don´t know. But I´m sure you´ll be able to pick up Freelancer so cheap that It wouldn´t hurt you much if you didn´t like it all that mutch anyway.

[Tjomp]

>Are there missions in the multiplayer part of Freelancer? >(like the quests in World of Warcraft) Is it possible to >communicate freely with other players?

Yes there are. The ultimate goal is to earn money. Money you would spend on upgrading ship, weapon, armor, etc. Or buying a new ship. In every spaceport you can take on missions that will give money as reward. You also need to be friendly to trade with that solar system. So it´s also necessary to do missions to alter friendly/hated relationship.
Somce races are hard to get friendly with and thats the races that sell the ships you want to buy :-)

If I remember correctly you can speak freely with ppl in your group and those that are close by your ship.