Is it my Imagination?
- Thread starter Old Duck
- Start date
What systems/sectors are you referring to specifically?
Unless I'm wrong, it seems like all the sectors that were permit-locked near Barnard's Loop pre-2.4 (Col 70, Col 121, Col 97, Horsehead Dark, M41, and NGC 1647) are still permit-locked. However, it seems that (once again, correct me if I'm wrong) the NGC 2264 Sector which used to be permit-locked is not anymore.
Unless I'm wrong, it seems like all the sectors that were permit-locked near Barnard's Loop pre-2.4 (Col 70, Col 121, Col 97, Horsehead Dark, M41, and NGC 1647) are still permit-locked. However, it seems that (once again, correct me if I'm wrong) the NGC 2264 Sector which used to be permit-locked is not anymore.
I'm not in game right now, so I can't specify exact systems, but what I did do is first visit Witch Head nebula (no locked systems there), then plotted a course straight towards BL. I don't remember being able to get anywhere near it or surrounding nebula in 2.3 (when I bought the game), but now I can visit it and all the cool nebula around it with ease, as well as a weird 'string' of stars in the region, which is where I took the above screenshot. I did notice that the Horsehead systems and others above BL are still locked.
Once I entered what I think was previously locked space, my target reticle showed each system in my route as 0LY away, whereas the target panel shows them as trillions or more LYs away. This is obviously a bug, but I wonder if it has something to do with systems being unlocked?
BTW, someone in OA's latest video ninja'd me and stated something similar about nebula being unlocked, so I guess I'll have to discover something else to earn my fame, LOL.
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... running away with me...
I'm on the PS4 if that makes any difference. Maybe it's a bug and I'm not supposed to be here.... That makes this even more exciting!!! I'll try to get some screenshots of my galaxy map today to show you all where I'm at.
-- UPDATE--
Here's a shot of where I'm at (from photo in OP) and where I'm going next.
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I don't know, but I can do a systematic check of permit-locked sectors this evening.
Getting closer still 
It appears any system with "horsehead" in the name is still locked, but I'm now sitting inside Barnard's Loop in a system right next door to the HH nebula (awesome view, even closer than screenshot above).
When I returned awhile back from a trip to some of the outer nebula (Rosette, Seagull, Thor's Helmet, etc), I had to plot way around Barnard's Loop because of all the locked systems. Now I'm punching right through it. Surely something has changed....
It appears any system with "horsehead" in the name is still locked, but I'm now sitting inside Barnard's Loop in a system right next door to the HH nebula (awesome view, even closer than screenshot above).
When I returned awhile back from a trip to some of the outer nebula (Rosette, Seagull, Thor's Helmet, etc), I had to plot way around Barnard's Loop because of all the locked systems. Now I'm punching right through it. Surely something has changed....
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If I recall correctly, last time I visited Barnard's Loop, it was not permit locked but many areas around it were. There was one "entry" point to it, which can be reached with a high enough range and your screenshot is similar to the route I took last year. Barnard's loop itself was never permit locked.
One of the first things I did after the update hit was to check the previously permit-locked sectors to see if any have been opened. Bear in mind that not all of the nebula was locked before, larger sectors of it were unlocked. Maybe it was just me, but I didn't find any sectors that were locked before but are now unlocked. Then again, maybe only parts of subsectors were unlocked, so that entry into the nebula is easier - I didn't note down specific systems earlier.
Also, your jump range appears to be 48 ly, which would be sufficient to enter the nebula where the closed systems are the thinnest. Still, if the route plotter found its way there automatically, that's quite impressive.
Also, your jump range appears to be 48 ly, which would be sufficient to enter the nebula where the closed systems are the thinnest. Still, if the route plotter found its way there automatically, that's quite impressive.
That's what surprised me. I saw a video by OA that demonstrated one could get in close to these nebula, but it required some serious manual plotting to do, like threading a needle. Please note that this journey isn't just one long plot - I've been picking various POIs and going to them, then to the next, and the next, etc. Perhaps by pure luck I'm threading the needle, but I'm sure not trying! I'll attempt to return home an entirely different way and see how easy / hard this is.
I flew out to Barnard's Loop in 2.3 with my Anaconda, think it was only getting 45-50Ly range at the time. I had no issues plotting, I do recall there being locked sectors around but the plotter itself had no issues finding me a nice route in.
I've also learned to take OA videos with a pinch of salt, as sometimes he doesn't have the most accurate/up-to-date information, at least compared to some of the more experienced players on the forums.
Same here. I didn't do any serious manual plotting other than go for various shinies that took my fancy. The plotter had no issues getting me there.
If you just wait for a short while on the Galaxy Map you will see the route plotter filling out the routes around you. When next to a permit-locked region, this will show up as running into a 'wall' where no routes are plotted. Col 70 Sector is probably still locked but I imagine it won't stay that way forever and it might be someone like yourself who is just passing by looking for the shortest route to get to their next point of interest who discovers it first.
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It is worth quickly mentioning that the Cone nebula (on the far side of Barnard's Loop from Sol) is surrounded by two permit-locked sectors but its stars are not themselves permit-locked. It will be interesting to see what really lurks within these regions around Barnard's Loop but I suspect that it will be a fairly major in-game event that precedes the unlocking and that there might be some events or places to go within that are related to the narrative, time will tell...
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It is worth quickly mentioning that the Cone nebula (on the far side of Barnard's Loop from Sol) is surrounded by two permit-locked sectors but its stars are not themselves permit-locked. It will be interesting to see what really lurks within these regions around Barnard's Loop but I suspect that it will be a fairly major in-game event that precedes the unlocking and that there might be some events or places to go within that are related to the narrative, time will tell...