This is an incredible game. You have so much control over the detail of how your ship operates that at first it is overwhelming. Yet, this learning process is deeply important to later come to appreciate the scale of the universe. For example, the various motor skills and equipment needed to do something as seemingly-mundane as mining is what makes mining itself feel active and involved. And, when in a combat scenario, you have to make lightning-fast choices with the right priorities in mind (not unlike the real world... look up "Aviate, Navigate, and Communicate") and manage the situation well to come out on top.

There is a downside to Elite: it's a sandbox game. It does not have a journal that tells you what your long term goals are and how your short term goals relate. That's for you to discover. The apparent shallowness comes from not connecting activities to longer-term goals, or joining in community politics.

This is an incredible game. You have so much control over the detail of how your ship operates that at first it is overwhelming. Yet, this learning process is deeply important to later come to appreciate the scale of the universe. For example, the various motor skills and equipment needed to do something as seemingly-mundane as mining is what makes mining itself feel active and involved. And, when in a combat scenario, you have to make lightning-fast choices with the right priorities in mind (not unlike the real world... look up "Aviate, Navigate, and Communicate") and manage the situation well to come out on top. There is a downside to Elite: it's a sandbox game. It does not have a journal that tells you what your long term goals are and how your short term goals relate. That's for you to discover. The apparent shallowness comes from not connecting activities to longer-term goals, or joining in community politics.