Are the procedurally generated nebulae static?

duckofdeath · Nov 12, 2017

Long story short:
I'm on the hunt for a lost earth-like world that I visited almost two years ago but never got the scan info from, my ship accidentally imploded before I had sold the data.
The only semi-accurate location info I have on it is a selfie with a nebula in the background. I know which nebula it is and I've been trying to locate the star by replicating its shape and size, to no avail. So, my question is.... Have Frontier made size changes on procedurally generated nebulae since early 2016 or are they in fact changing over time?

I did not use EDSM back then and the local log files are long gone as I reinstalled my PC last summer...

Flatkat · Nov 12, 2017

I'm no help here. But I'd love to hear more on the accidentally imploded part. Care to collaborate?

Sapyx · Nov 12, 2017

No, to my knowledge, procedurally-generated nebulae have not changed shape or colour since I started playing in 1.3. A couple of the hand-crafted nebulae have been edited to make the in-game colours closer to their true-to-life equivalents (the Pleiades switched from red to blue), but that's it.

Ebel · Nov 12, 2017

Howdy DoD

I haven't noted any changes, but I am not as well traveled as others. As fate might have it I am in your general area and will keep an eye out for your mystery system (saw picture in different post). If I get close to you I might drop in.

Good Luck and fly safe.

marx · Nov 12, 2017

Yes, they are. Besides the example that Sapyx mentioned, the generic nebula models (used for proc. gen. nebulae and quite a few of the real nebulae too) have stayed the same since launch. No such changes were included in the patch notes, nor has anyone noticed them. I suppose that the in-game placement of the models could be resized or rotated, but nobody has measured that before.

Are you looking for your lost system near a proc. gen. nebula that's in a high density sector?

Orvidius · Nov 12, 2017

The good news is that the "visited" filter in the map will help you look for systems you've already flown through. That should keep it from becoming a ridiculous needle in a haystack, with millions of stars in the region you're searching.

thundernuns · Nov 12, 2017

Orvidius said:
The good news is that the "visited" filter in the map will help you look for systems you've already flown through. That should keep it from becoming a ridiculous needle in a haystack, with millions of stars in the region you're searching.

Unfortunately that only works for stars visited after it was introduced in 2.2

duckofdeath · Nov 12, 2017

Like thundernuns said, visited filters wasn't any help to me as the data was lost before I had sold it.
It is in a high density region, but the old screen grab I have narrows the options down rather much. That is, unless the buggers have changed in any microscopic shape or size since then.

I'll post some screenies later.
That implosion wasn't particularly dramatic, flatcat, a station developed a grudge with me last year while I was tabbed away. \o/

Major Klutz · Nov 12, 2017

duckofdeath said:
Like thundernuns said, visited filters wasn't any help to me as the data was lost before I had sold it. ...

AFAIK, the visited stars list is all systems you have passed through, regardless of whether or not you sold the data or even scanned anything.
Even stars that you had tagged before the patch won't be in the list.
When the feature was introduced, many of us were able to import our travel data from EDSM and/or ED Discovery to populate the list with data from before the patch.

However, I assume you weren't using EDD or EDSM at the time so that's probably no help.

Satsuma · Nov 12, 2017

One thing that could affect the size, shape, or color is your graphics settings. I started playing Elite Dangerous with an ATI HD5770 (an old card that required a reduction in graphics quality) and noticed a big change in the appearance of procedurally generated nebula when I went to an nVidia GTX 1060 and was able to max out all the settings. Did you upgrade your graphics card since 2016?

roryclague · Nov 12, 2017

I think there was an increase in the quality of nebula graphics that was discussed a bit in one of the updates (I can't recall which one), but the overall shape and colour of the nebulae were not changed.

duckofdeath · Nov 12, 2017

It unfortunately isn't, Major Klutz. I've got multiple reference systems that can confirm that. Like, literally thousands... And since I said I didn't use any logging like EDSM, yes, I didn't use any logging like EDSM back then.

Anyhoo... Here are the known constants. I have two screenies. One is a system map, without any names in it. Not particularly useful other than to confirm it's a system. The other is a selfie. This one is very useful, as the backdrop narrows down the search area from 400 billion to a few hundred, at most.
System:

Selfie:

The location has some helpful features other than the nebula. for instance, it's right on the edge of two of those StellarForge cubes with completely different star types, lots of B class in one and not a single B class in the other. This physically limits the search area:

These are the nearest confirmed locations I have, before and after finding the ELW. There's a 7 hour gap after and around 15 minutes before:

This is a screenshot I made this week, from my search area, the nebula view is almost identical:

There are a few variables just to complicate it all. My old selfie with the ELW has the customary Asp blocking a vital clue, the angle of the galactic plane. I am also not sure if I had a custom Field of View when I took the selfie and, even though I find it unlikely, I'm not 100% sure if the system was really a single star system, the zoom I used can hide one or more stars below. The planet's huge semi-major axis does however suggest this would be improbable. It's the second widest known semi-major axis for an ELW in our galaxy.

I have been to hundreds of potential stars in the area, without finding a single ELW... Which is the reason I started to wonder if there is a possibility that these bleeping nebulae haven't been 100% static since early last year.

The change doesn't have to be massive. Just a rotation of a couple degrees would completely change the search area.

Here's a map of my visited systems around the suspect area. The orange box is the limits it should be well within as the nebula is either too big or small outside of those limits, or simply too deformed to match the selfie:

Those are all the facts I have. It feels like it should be enough. Yet, I can't find that system! \o/

Major Klutz · Nov 12, 2017

Sorry, I missed the bit in the OP about not using EDSM back then. Or just forgot while I was writing my reply.
Since the visited stars list is a locally stored file, you would have lost that on your old PC along with the journal files.

How many class B stars are there in the search area? I gather there are no obvious bright clusters of B stars around.

The system map screenshot looks like a class B to me but I can't be sure. How can you tell if it's not a class A? Just the color I assume. Or the habitable zone being 16K ls away.
Can the habitable zone give you a clue about the star temp and help narrow the search?

Good luck on your search

Update: I just did a system map comparison between A, B and O type stars. The color difference is on the edge around the corona. The difference is subtle but distinct.
The color in your screenshot is light blue which is consistent with B type. The O is a bit more magenta and the A is a darker blue.

duckofdeath · Nov 12, 2017

There are plenty of B class and a fair amount of A class in the area. It's on the the edge of one of those visible big boxes we get in the core region. Luckily not the absolute densest type, but more than enough.
It's almost certainly a B class but, I have checked most other larger stars in the little box I've personally decided it has to be within.
My next plan to comb the area is to "start over" and bookmark every system I visit. Just to be 100% sure. That's going to create a nice clutter for me on the galaxy map.... \o/

Anyhoo... If there's anyone near another nebula they happen to have a really old screenie of, preferably 1+ year old, could you try and recreate that screenie from the same system? Just to confirm if the size and shape is exactly the same?

varonica · Nov 13, 2017

duckofdeath said:
It unfortunately isn't, Major Klutz. I've got multiple reference systems that can confirm that. Like, literally thousands... And since I said I didn't use any logging like EDSM, yes, I didn't use any logging like EDSM back then.
Anyhoo... Here are the known constants. I have two screenies. One is a system map, without any names in it. Not particularly useful other than to confirm it's a system. The other is a selfie. This one is very useful, as the backdrop narrows down the search area from 400 billion to a few hundred, at most.
System:

http://u.cubeupload.com/duckofdeath/A2w7jo.png

[/SPOILER]

Those are all the facts I have. It feels like it should be enough. Yet, I can't find that system! \o/

Whoa duck, I've seen that! If it wasn't that exact system it was one so similar it's uncanny! It will be tagged with my name

Time for me to go through my records I guess!

Must have been a clone system, I don't have that one in that area in my logs....sad [where is it]

duckofdeath · Nov 13, 2017

varonica said:
Must have been a clone system, I don't have that one in that area in my logs....sad [where is it]

So, that's what's happened to it! \o/ You stole it and moved it to another corner of the galaxy! That's why I can't find it!

Latest mad developments in my corner of the galaxy... I'm going through everything a second time, this time bookmarking it all just to be sure I'm not skipping a system!

duckofdeath · Nov 13, 2017

I'm putting the hunt on hold until I can confirm nebula size consistency since 2015 with something I will be able to get a new screenie of.

I think, I've been to over 500 B class in the area. Way outside what I see possible... These bookmarks doesn't even cover half the size of the area I've combed through...