Will there be different ship classes, or is it run-what-ya-brung? Or is that part of the big reveal?
There's always a run-what-ya-brung class in the buckyball run. That's where I've always run it. For folks that are a little more "specialized" ElectricZ and Bucky do carve out a sidey class too that gets their own leaderboard but don't mess with your ship config in that class, the 'roo gets mean.
I'm a patient person but I don't think I want to cover 500 ly in a Sidewinder.
Go for the three-fer here. Birdnose, DaveB's got it. Unless you're one of those obsessive-compulsive types who has to have the max range/fuel efficiency for the run (not mentioning any CMDR names, you all know who you are
) fly what ya want. There's someone who always builds the primo race machine and plots the perfect course, but a lot of folks including myself fly what they have. Me, personally, I always get burned when I try to turn my beloved Asp
Shipwrecked and Comatose into a lean, mean, racing machine and I'm STILL looking for an A5 fuel scoop after the BRC's "Mischief Mile" race made me ditch the scoop to qualify to run. The only real restriction Buckyball 9 has is none of that FSD boost crap. Winners just say no to performance enhancing fuel additives!
Now, as DaveB also pointed out there's typically a "stock" option for a Buckyball that allows CMDRs who want to take bank accounts and machine specs out of the equation and run on a level playing field where everyone runs the same ship. For shorter races that means a Sidewinder, but for BBR9 it's going to be a Hauler. Those little suckers can, well, HAUL. Plus they're cheap enough almost anyone can afford to run one without worrying about the Bank of Zaonce Insurance adjusters putting a bounty on your head... The Stock Haulers will have their own leaderboard. Everybody else will compete together. (There will be no stock Hauler class for the live run, but you can run a Hauler in it if you want to.)
There's no big reveal, either. This is a pretty straightforward race, start to finish. I just haven't locked down the starting point is all. I'm lazy like that.
Rather theoretical question ATM (probably won't be in the bubble either way), but would it be possible to join the live group as a spectator, or would one have to join as a racer in order to se the chaos in the toast rack? (Hey, wouldn't that be a nice ship name?)
Hmmm... Don't know about that. Instancing is kind of spotty as it is, and though we're never going to get everybody around the globe in the same instance at once, it would be good to keep as many spots open in similar instances as possible for the racers. I guess it depends on demand. Ashnak, if you're the only one who wants the backstage pass, it'll probably be okay. If a zillion screaming fans show up, well, we might have to toss up some restrictions. So for now, we'll just have to wait and see.
Ahhhh, here you all are! It's taken a few days to find this thread but I figured you guys would probably be hanging around here someplace. So it's happening then eh? 9pm on the 2nd you say, from a start point to be announced on the 1st? Well, I'm not making any promises but I'll see what I can do ... otherwise I'll just follow the trail of prosecco corks and ferrero rocher wrappers one morning in the following week. Oh, and by the way ... HAPPY NEW YEAR for Friday!
Aw crap, he found us! Everybody act normal.
(Happy New Year to you too, Alex! Hope to see you on 2 JAN!)
I'll keep posting this until you do lol
I'm not saying bribes will work, but they sure can't hurt!
