2.2 Building the Neutron Highway Grid

[Erimus Kamzel]

That's why risk vs. reward should be major point here, not utilizing NS highways

I have no issue with 100% - 300% boost, anything bigger raises question about purpose. Seems lot of people expect it to be teleport. Not gonna happen.

I've tested the highway concept. I did a run to Colonia using a predefined route off the data in this thread. 250% was pretty much bang on the money imho. It shaved some time of a trip to Colonia, made it risky, but more importantly I think - it broke up the monotony of the regular hyperspace grind and gave me options on how I wanted to make the trip.

Agreed. Anything over-powered just makes it too easy and "neutron hopping" would become the norm, not the exception.

 

[robbyp]

" I don’t know why that is, probably because no one on the team bothers to do it. "

A sweeping and incorrect statement. Ed Lewis has been to Beagle and is coming back, I know Sandro has been out of the bubble.

 

[dukrous]

We've not reached the final number yet - there are competing discussions internally about this. Player projects like this one are positive ammunition to use in the discussion

Michael

Is there any value to using a method where supercharging isnt a binary on/off feature but one that you can charge up? Say you want to hit some star 300 Ly away, and you can remain in the cone to keep charging up until you've hit your desired multiplier. Damage to the FSD would rise commensurate with this, but would allow this to function as a type of skill check explorers don't really get.

 

[Andrew Gaspurr]

I don't have beta. Wasn't it meant to supercharge multiple times in order to gain additional distance? I.e. you have to receive the "FSD supercharged" massage multiple times?

 

[Mengy]

A sweeping and incorrect statement. Ed Lewis has been to Beagle and is coming back, I know Sandro has been out of the bubble.

But Ed is a community manager, right? I meant anyone in Frontier on the game design team, I saw Ed out at Beagle on the DWE.

 

[Erimus Kamzel]

I don't have beta. Wasn't it meant to supercharge multiple times in order to gain additional distance? I.e. you have to receive the "FSD supercharged" massage multiple times?

It only charges once, and it only takes a few seconds to do it, so moving in and out of the jet does nothing extra once you've had the initial supercharged message.

 

[Andrew Gaspurr]

Then some sort of fuel scoopish accumulation of charge would really be killer.

 

[Mengy]

It only charges once, and it only takes a few seconds to do it, so moving in and out of the jet does nothing extra once you've had the initial supercharged message.

Yeah, I personally feel like if they up it to 300% then the jet charge should take longer than it does now, more like 10 seconds at least. Maybe even include a charging bar mechanic similar to fuel scooping now. It should feel like you need to survive and ride in that bucking bronco for quite a bit in order to earn that boost IMHO!

 

[Brian of Ardagh]

Yeah, I personally feel like if they up it to 300% then the jet charge should take longer than it does now, more like 10 seconds at least. Maybe even include a charging bar mechanic similar to fuel scooping now. It should feel like you need to survive and ride in that bucking bronco for quite a bit in order to earn that boost IMHO!

They could make it up to a limit where the risk is additional damage. So charging to 100% carries some risk but its low, at 300% there is a serious, exponential, chance of FSD or other system failure, even risk of ship destruction. You'd get a warning like when taking heat damage and serious indications that something's about to blow.

 

[Nari Picaro]

Nari Picaro Neutron Star Claims

Posting All Neutrons Scanned, EDSM Logs Available, Will update daily. System	Ly to Sol	Ly to Jaques	Ly to Sag A*
Aquila dark region cq-y d77 a
Aquila dark region cq-y d54 a
Aquila dark region gw-w d1-14 a	988.46	21055.4	25178.63
COL 359 sector ya-m d7-39 a	978.77	21075.73	25189.72
Stock 1 sector ue-q d5-83 a	1086.52	21005.25	25187.45
Stock 1 sector ks-t d3-84 a
Stock 1 sector is-t d3-13 a	1251.23	21032.08	25361.94
Pru euq xp-p d-54 a	1447.68	20837.01	25224.43
Pru euq fr-n d6-10 a	1370.71	20787.10	25083.98
Pru euq vp-g d10-110	1523.48	20560.20	24824.51
Pru euq qj-I d9-21 a	1532.07	20591.07	24897.13
Pru euq qj-I d9-79 a	1559.89	20570.21	24891.32
Pru euq ix-l d7-58	1466.77	20716.84	25056.71
pru euq md-k d8-89 a	1505.06	20656.54	24989.05
Pru euq ld-k d8-114 a	1550.87	20603.31	24939.32
Pru euq ld-k d8-108	1612.59	20560.28	24922.44
Sifi zd-k d8-24	1684.32	20546.60	24964.65
Sifi dk-l d9-54	1699.84	20506.34	24915.80
Prooe drye fs-h d11-76 a	1943.40	20288.69	24772.85
Sifi hw-e d11-106 a	2091.76	20171.74	24708.79
Sifi to-z d13-15	2255.77	19953.06	24486.52
Aucopp mx-a d1-8	2400.32	19805.29	24372.69
Aucopp rd-z d1-48	2426.36	19729.02	24253.36
Aucopp uo-x d2-39	2438.42	19684.66	24173.65
Aucopp uo-x D2-26	2410.82	19706.20	24179.39
Phylur nl-p d5-33	2432.64	19598.83	23921.16
Phylur wy-s e3-3	2665.68	19391.06	23805.86
Phylur qx-l d7-74	2809.12	19277.48	23771.65
Aucopp es-h d11-57	2938.65	19089.85	23490.93
Aucopp es-h d11-98	2959.47	19068.47	23474.15
Aucopp es-h d11-43	2963.61	19071.08	23495.00
Aucopp ds-h d11-1	2978.73	19060.74	23500.59

 

[Aura Lorell]

Dr Kaii has put up an interesting poll: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...Ideas-from-the-community-since-the-first-poll

 

[Mengy]

Just a heads up, looks like the neutron highway will be a reality afterall!!!!

Hi - another update on this. After reading the feedback and much discussion we're going to implement the following:


- White Dwarfs will confer a 50% boost
- Neutron stars will confer a 300% boost


We're hoping to squeeze this into the next beta update, which will be next week. If it doesn't make that build then it will be the next. Obviously we need you guys to test these changes and see how they play out.


Thanks!


Michael

 

[Erimus Kamzel]

Data updated.

Please note that entries for the Bubble to Colonia shaded corridor are now suspended.

We have more than enough data for this region at the moment - thanks to all who contributed!

Please continue to submit data for the other two highway regions; Colonia to Hyponia and Colonia to The Fallows.

​

 

[Erimus Kamzel]

There will be 2 highways marked between the Bubble and Colonia.

The main neutron highway will be created from the best candidate systems submitted by the following commanders :

• MacrosTheBlack
• Histarium
• IIzDaFury
• Lestat99cz
• Ar'Vessah
• PavelKCZ
• Unifex
• Dregory The Crow
• D4RKS4V4NT
• Nari Picaro

Another 'hybrid' highway will be marked (The Hurt Highway) - this one contains a mixture of neutrons and white dwarfs and was mapped out by The Deep Exploration Recon Patrol, Elite XBOX One.

 

[Ziljan]

I've tested the highway concept. I did a run to Colonia using a predefined route off the data in this thread. 250% was pretty much bang on the money imho. It shaved some time of a trip to Colonia, made it risky, but more importantly I think - it broke up the monotony of the regular hyperspace grind and gave me options on how I wanted to make the trip.

I believe you that it broke up the monotony, and made the trip more interesting. But until I see hard timed numbers for at least a full one way trip, I am going to chalk up the "shaved time" to an error in human perception. Simply doing something that requires your attention while getting to see a big boosted number pop on your jump distance hud can make it FEEL like your are saving time, but amount of time spent fiddling with spread sheets and bookmarks and re-replots and reorienting yourself on the galmap, it all adds up fast. If your average jump time goes up by as little as 25% then the benefit turns into a break-even trip.

 

[Major Klutz]

Granted, it's still in beta, but right now this doesn't really look like it's something that can be used safely.
Rust Dog demoed it in this video and lost the ship.
https://youtu.be/q5YuIFtRKCk?t=1h46m33s

 

[Andrew Gaspurr]

Does anybody know what triggers your exit from Supercruise? It's just saying "Too close" if I'm right but then again you are supposed to be close to the jets in order to to supercharge your FSD. And not being able to align to the escape vector because you have no control over your ship seems rather stupid.

 

[Major Klutz]

I think Rusty Dog must have hit the exclusion zone. Not sure if he had orbit lines on or off.
He was taking damage to his FSD though which may have triggered an FSD malfunction.
Is it possible for a random FSD malfunction to drop you out of supercruise?
I've flown with a damaged FSD before and I'd get random FSD malfunction errors while I was in SC trying to make a hyper jump. Never dropped me out of SC.

 

[MDFification]

Riding the NHG will apparently be off limits to players without a lot of skill and access to repair. Perhaps we should try to build outposts that can be repaired at along the route? IIRC there was a CG to build refuel/repair stations along the route to Jacques anyway. Maybe these stations could be along the route of the NHG? That was potential riders of the highway could do away with fuelscoops in their builds in favor of maximizing durability/repair capability, and top off at stations along the way if they get dangerously close to critical systems breaking.

 

[Susanna]

I would hope its an exponential increase in danger, the longer you're within the magnetic fields.

So those taking the biggest risks get the biggest rewards. That will give rise to mavericks and pioneers - true risk takers who want to reach the clusters that no one has been to. You have a high risk of death because the reward is so high. People should make the GalNet news for their bravery at risking it all. Something that exploration failed miserably at because the galaxy has posed virtually no environmental danger to players for two years - so there has been no avenue for great stories of courage and risk to tell (if we're honest). This mechanic could change that.

If its a few percent hull damage for a 200 LY jump, it will be a nonsensical addition imho because the rewards will far outweigh the risk. If its just module damage that can be fixed by the AFMU in seconds, it will be even worse.

There will always be Mavericks, but if it causes damage to your ship that can't be repaired while out exploring, it won't get used. Or perhaps I should say, I for one, won't be risking losing all my progress, exploration data and ship unless the rewards are REALLY REALLY worth it! In fact, I just can't imagine a situation were the rewards would justify the risk personally. So sorry, but I totally disagree with you. Irreparable damage just isn't part of 'exploration' imho.