So you want to know about the Formidine Rift? (Part 3)

[hhiram]

There were certainly no "dark" systems in 1.0 when the game launched, so whatever the Formidine Rift Easter egg is, it isn't that - as long as we assume Drew Wagar is telling the truth about the mystery being in the game since launch. That also rules out anything on planets, although it seems new clues are now being added (if incompetently, given the recent CTD bug) to planets.

Unfortunately, based on what Drew has said (i.e. isn't a POI, object in a system, or a single system) and the limitations of the 1.0 game, there is really only one thing that the mystery CAN be: it is a pattern of stars/objects visible in the skybox and/or galaxy map. I am therefore fully prepared to be very underwhelmed when it is finally "discovered", since it is likely something small and extremely convoluted like (by analogy) a cloud that you *really* have to squint at to see a sort-of-face in. But nevertheless, I remain dimly hopeful that it turns out to be something extremely cool and clever that has been staring us in the face the whole time!

 

[ShadowAviator]

I have buried myself in Kerbal Space Program, so I may not have seen anything announcing when the abandoned sites will be fixed.

So my question is: Has there been any time given for when to expect a fix?

I am not trying to rush anyone, but it would be nice to know.

 

[Mengy]

There were certainly no "dark" systems in 1.0 when the game launched, so whatever the Formidine Rift Easter egg is, it isn't that - as long as we assume Drew Wagar is telling the truth about the mystery being in the game since launch.

I think "certainly" is too strong a word there, especially knowing as little as we do. Both Drew and Michael have said it's been in the game since launch, and "dark" systems could have very easily been out there since day one. We simply wouldn't have noticed any of them due to the fact that A) the nav panel only shows systems withing a 20ly radius of the ship, and B) the galaxy map wouldn't show them at all. Unless you both fly within 20ly of it AND actively monitor the panel in order to see it, anyone could have very easily flown right past a dark system and never even knew it.

 

[Jaiotu]

I have buried myself in Kerbal Space Program, so I may not have seen anything announcing when the abandoned sites will be fixed.

So my question is: Has there been any time given for when to expect a fix?

I am not trying to rush anyone, but it would be nice to know.

No word on when there will be a fix. Got my first Kerbal to make a loop over the Mun in a brand new save game last night though. Jeremiah had a stupid grin on his face during the EVA.

I hope they get this fixed soon.

 

[Zeeman]

I know I've certainly never bothered to look at the systems list panel, though I've spent a stupid amount of time flying hundreds of thousands of LS from the main star to get a good look at the skybox...

Z...

 

[FragODeath]

One theory for finding such a dark systems...

Systems are usually named systematically, so if there is a blahblah system x11 a4-1, blahblah system x11 a4-3, blahblah system x11 a4-4, but not blahblah system x11 a4-2, this may be a sign to try and find a way to jump to it.

Unless said systems are dev-named. In which case they'd be easier to spot on the nav panel...

Z...

I imagine that it would be quite easy to spot dev-named systems, they would be misspelled!

 

[crushdepth]

We've been told that dark systems are not in the game (at least, not yet) and I think Drew suggested once that we could consider systems with brown dwarfs etc to be 'dark systems', as far as the reference in his book went.

But consider this: Universal Cartographics is controlled by the Pilot's Federation. The same organisation that controls Galnet. The same organisation that can permit lock your FSD and prevent you entering any system they please. They pretty much own your ship's systems.

If they deliberately dropped an inconspicuous star or two from the Universal Cartographics database, who would know? Would your ship's navigation system report it? Outside of the bubble an unlisted system would probably go undetected. If someone did notice, the news could be suppressed long enough for you to have a nasty accident, or explained away as an error.

- - - Updated - - -

WHILE WE ARE WAITING for the story to progress...

Anyone interested in lobbying for a forward exploration support station to be set up on the borders of the rift? You know, for science and all that. Just somewhere to resupply and repair.

 

[Gravity Drive]

The more I think about it, the more it occurs to me that having hidden systems only accessible from the NAV panel would be a genius way to hide something in plain sight. It also adds nicely to the conspiracy angle, (with there being literally something to hide), and it seems to fit at least broadly with most of the given clues.

I don't think we should get hung up on semantic terminology; a "dark" system doesn't have to mean a system with no star, just one that is hidden from your galmap.

IMO, this might be the strongest lead yet. If it was something in the skybox, it must be so obscure as to be underwhelming for it to not have been noticed by now. What else could it be? Start checking your NAV panels, CMDRs...

 

[crushdepth]

Can someone point me to the reference about the skybox? Who said we should look at that? And did they mean the background art (that's what I thought the skybox was) or just that we should keep an eye on night sky in general?

 

[dynamicbob]

Can someone point me to the reference about the skybox? Who said we should look at that? And did they mean the background art (that's what I thought the skybox was) or just that we should keep an eye on night sky in general?

Locating via background could be possible but in a more generalistic sense i think

 

[Jorki Rasalas]

One theory for finding such a dark systems...

Systems are usually named systematically, so if there is a blahblah system x11 a4-1, blahblah system x11 a4-3, blahblah system x11 a4-4, but not blahblah system x11 a4-2, this may be a sign to try and find a way to jump to it.

Unless said systems are dev-named. In which case they'd be easier to spot on the nav panel...

Z...

I wasted two weeks in the Spring searching for dark systems when I was out in Phaa Ain following the old lady's clue. There were several 'missing' systems in the galmap numbering sequence but I didn't find anything in the nav panel to lead me to them.

- - - Updated - - -

I have buried myself in Kerbal Space Program, so I may not have seen anything announcing when the abandoned sites will be fixed.

So my question is: Has there been any time given for when to expect a fix?

I am not trying to rush anyone, but it would be nice to know.

No fix timetable announced yet!

 

[dynamicbob]

could be, but it generally takes u to another system randomly, ive checked out these leads but nothing out of note.

 

[Non Grata]

If a dark system was suspected in a certain area, perhaps frame shift waking npcs might show it up. Maybe npcs of some relevant faction. I read FD have someone flying around chatting - maybe their wakes could be scanned.

 

[Masheikh Scytale]

If a dark system was suspected in a certain area, perhaps frame shift waking npcs might show it up. Maybe npcs of some relevant faction. I read FD have someone flying around chatting - maybe their wakes could be scanned.

Could be in line with finding System Defense Vipers in the middle of nowhere ...

Spoiler

This one blew up my unique SRV ...These guys have NO sense of humor

 

[P|A|ntZ]

Speaking of which have mines been nerfed in 2.2? Thought I'd finaly found a way to deal with the annoyingly frequent pirates that insist on trying to make me drop "all my tasty cargo", & in 2 1 replaced all my python's weapons with mine dispensers - they were pretty useful, even against pirate anacondas. The mines don't seem to be effective any more.

At the moment I'm in my python trying to do passenger missions to raise my bank balance while getting to Baron so I can finally try an Imp Clipper, so my "tasty cargo" is all human- don't 3302 security forces clamp down on cannibalism?

I've noticed that in 2.2 the NPCs will adjust course after they are hit by the first mine. After that, they seem to make a real effort to not follow directly behind you, and come in at an angle (still pointing their nose at you, so presumably using side thrust). They seem to sail into the first volley of mines, but it's not like it used to be in 2.1 where an anaconda would just blunder forward until his shields were gone.

 

[Koben]

Dark Systems

If a dark system was suspected in a certain area, perhaps frame shift waking npcs might show it up. Maybe npcs of some relevant faction. I read FD have someone flying around chatting - maybe their wakes could be scanned.

I believe the entrance for such a "Dark System" would be from inside another system, not your FSD. Take for example Lave Asteroid Clusters 4 and 5... both evade you and point to a certain location. Maybe this is a hint which is present in game since the begining...

Cheers!

 

[Martin Afonso]

https://mobile.twitter.com/AMBRSurreth/status/806213387504013313

 

[NascentChemist]

To get around NPC's course correcting when hit with a mine, use ion disruptors. If you knock out their drives, they'll cruise right into your other mines. (Assuming you hit them with the right mine in first round.)

 

[Mengy]

https://mobile.twitter.com/AMBRSurreth/status/806213387504013313

Yeah but I’ve read that in the live stream today they don’t expect 2.2.03 to go live until 2017. That means we won’t be seeing the CTD content re-activated until then. I’m hoping it will be much, much sooner in reality.

 

[Masheikh Scytale]

Yeah but I’ve read that in the live stream today they don’t expect 2.2.03 to go live until 2017. That means we won’t be seeing the CTD content re-activated until then. I’m hoping it will be much, much sooner in reality.

Yep .. Going back home from the Rift ...