Community Event / Creation Buckyball Racing Club: Day of the Dead Stars

[AkenBosch]

Well well, look now who's in trouble with his little clumsy Asp.

Joking, I tried the maneuver yesterday....tricky with the outposts, spent some minutes just to find where the damn station name was printed...as for the starports, I can agree the 1.5 km approach is..."intense"...

It could be curious to see if a nimble but short-ranged, 640 m/s boosting Courier can somewhat compensate for a one-jump-pony Asp (I'd say not, given one has half the jump range of the other)...I just have a commitments-free morning to test this out.

 

[racer1]

Well well, look now who's in trouble with his little clumsy Asp.

Joking, I tried the maneuver yesterday....tricky with the outposts, spent some minutes just to find where the damn station name was printed...as for the starports, I can agree the 1.5 km approach is..."intense"...

It could be curious to see if a nimble but short-ranged, 640 m/s boosting Courier can somewhat compensate for a one-jump-pony Asp (I'd say not, given one has half the jump range of the other)...I just have a commitments-free morning to test this out.

My asp can do just over 500m/s with a similar jump range to Alec's.

Knowing the asp's braking ability I expect I'll be using the station name plate as my "brake" anyway lol.

 

[Jhyrryl]

So, having done a recce of the course (and learned how to gain, and survive, an FSD boost) I have to question (again) the 1.5km range thing. Did you really mean that we have to get under 1.5km? Will a screenshot with the station name filling the view suffice or do I really need to press my shieldless Asp right up against the wall of the station?

The distance was chosen to accommodate all sizes of stations and outposts. Any farther than 1.5km makes Doi Station almost unreadable, and I'd rather be closer than farther away, as that requires more skill. And as with any race, a pilot's decision to run with or without shields is his or her own.

Is there are particular station that's more problematic than others, that I just didn't notice when scouting the course? If not then 1.5km is the distance, and the station name spills out of the shot some due to size, that's fine.

 

[Alec Turner]

The distance was chosen to accommodate all sizes of stations and outposts. Any farther than 1.5km makes Doi Station almost unreadable, and I'd rather be closer than farther away, as that requires more skill. And as with any race, a pilot's decision to run with or without shields is his or her own.

Is there are particular station that's more problematic than others, that I just didn't notice when scouting the course? If not then 1.5km is the distance, and the station name spills out of the shot some due to size, that's fine.

So be it ... let battle commence.

 

[AkenBosch]

Did my first run, arrived at the last station, impacted the nameplate at over 300 m/s, ended my first run. Swearing intensifies.

But the approaches can be very fun, even without planets to use as brakes

 

[Alec Turner]

Did my first run, arrived at the last station, impacted the nameplate at over 300 m/s, ended my first run. Swearing intensifies.

Well well, look now who's in trouble with his 640 m/s boosting Courier!

 

[AkenBosch]

Lol, can't say I didn't call this one on me

The Thrust Issues stays true to the name, can't deny this. Anyway, second (a bit conservative) attempt ended at Avogadro, so if I didn't screw with the video capture there should be a submission incoming soon.

 

[Raiko]

Love that picture Alec, sadly I've not spent enough time on the forums recently and cannot seem to rep anyone in this thread at the moment! So +1 virtual rep.

I'm still out by the KES-75 Magnetar, so might not make it back. Then again my current location is a good place to test out the FSD boosts (I didn't ever get time to log into the beta this time), so I might see the rebuy screen seconds after starting play!

I'm heading back to the bubble ASAP, so I'll be racing again soonish, not planning on exploring again for a while with my main account as it takes me far, far too long getting home again (maybe I annoyed Poseidon or something).

One question as I missed the beta: how does the boost work? If you scoop from the cones on entering the system, is the boost still available until you make your next jump?

 

[Alec Turner]

One question as I missed the beta: how does the boost work? If you scoop from the cones on entering the system, is the boost still available until you make your next jump?

Well, having done my first one this morning I'm no expert but ... you fly (in SC) into the ejecta cone (I did so fairly gently, half throttle at a 45 degree angle AWAY from the star so that I was already on course to get away again). Once inside you get warnings about FSD stress or somesuch and have to then wrestle (really quite hard) with the controls to ride out your exit path until you get the FSD charge notification. At this point I then hit full throttle (continuing to wrestle with controls) until I was well out of it again. Your FSD is now supercharged and the charge appears to last until your next jump (I even docked and I didn't notice the charge diminishing at all). Really quite fun (if a bit nerve wracking - I've heard so many stories of people losing their ship trying this).

 

[racer1]

I did the same but didn't touch the controls lol.

My experience so far suggests WD are harder than NS because the plumes are smaller - but that is a sample of one bad experience lol
If you hit normal space in the jet expect to see the rebuy screen. The how to escape advice didn't work for me

Once super charged it just says your range is 4x/1.5x normal in the status panel. You then select a star about that far away and off you go. You lose about 1% FSD every super charge.

 

[Edelgard von Rhein]

I think Erimus has got the hang of boosting using neutron stars... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drYrY7Qs3X0

 

[racer1]

Yes he is doing an awesome job as always!

Well my brief lunch break didn't go quite according to plan.

Logged off in SRV at ruins yesterday. Logged back in, all was quiet then I was merged to an instance with several hollow triangles...
Quickly turned lights off.
Made a run for it.
A corvette was homing on my last position before I killed the lights.
He deploys his SRV and starts following my tracks - I'm blaming you for this Alec
I reckon I am far enough away to recall my ship - but no it decides to land next to the corvette ahhh.
I'm dashing back for it when I meet the other CMDR who opens fire on my already 33% hull SRV. I die.
Then the game pauses for a bit while I can hear gun fire, then I reappear in my ship with 0% hull still landed and die again?
Not sure if that is a bug or some special circumstance when you die in the SRV and your ship is there (did I read in the patch notes that that is what happens in 2.2 when you die in the SRV now?)
At least this insta teleported me to 2 jumps from Tau Ceti and I was only in a cobra so cheap rebuy

Figure I'd have a play with the white dwarf in LAWD... system only to mess that up and die again lol.

I'm now planning to stealthify my cobra and go and annoy the "RP" ruin defenders After the race of course.

 

[AkenBosch]

I'm now planning to stealthify my cobra and go and annoy the "RP" ruin defenders After the race of course.

I did something loosely similar at the recent Walter CG...barely made in with my unshielded T9, sent to the rebuy on departing by the usual "Severely Disappointing Children" trash player camping the area...decided to have some fun with him, and spent the remaining good part of the evening coming out of Walter Dock in a stock Cobra, buzzing closely around the slot, to draw his attention, doing rolls and blinking lights, writing on local coms "I'm here I'm here", deploying weapons in front of him only to shoot at the void in a different direction...watching the poor chap coming to me and spending several seconds trying to understand what the heck I was doing, while behind him all sort of T-numbered ships went back and forth unscathed made me have some laughs, definitely worth the few credits lost in rebuying when the "victim" didn't take the bait.

If life gives you lemons...throw them away, you won't need them anyway in a Cobra [big grin]

 

[Alec Turner]

Well my brief lunch break didn't go quite according to plan.

Logged off in SRV at ruins yesterday. Logged back in, all was quiet then I was merged to an instance with several hollow triangles...
Quickly turned lights off.
Made a run for it.
A corvette was homing on my last position before I killed the lights.
He deploys his SRV and starts following my tracks - I'm blaming you for this Alec
I reckon I am far enough away to recall my ship - but no it decides to land next to the corvette ahhh.
I'm dashing back for it when I meet the other CMDR who opens fire on my already 33% hull SRV. I die.
Then the game pauses for a bit while I can hear gun fire, then I reappear in my ship with 0% hull still landed and die again?
Not sure if that is a bug or some special circumstance when you die in the SRV and your ship is there (did I read in the patch notes that that is what happens in 2.2 when you die in the SRV now?)

Nice quick thinking there turning the SRV lights off. I'm not sure I'd have thought of that. Mind you, I'm also quite impressed at your aggressor's tactics of deploying an SRV to follow your tracks. This is a really cool little tale actually, although you fleeing into the dark (using boost jumps to cover your tracks?) and finally managing to summon your ship in some quiet canyon a few km away would have made a much better ending.

As to the double-death thing, that just sounds like they got you and then your recalled ship and that you were unlucky enough to re-spawn just in time to suffer both.
That's cold.

 

[racer1]

Nice quick thinking there turning the SRV lights off. I'm not sure I'd have thought of that. Mind you, I'm also quite impressed at your aggressor's tactics of deploying an SRV to follow your tracks. This is a really cool little tale actually, although you fleeing into the dark (using boost jumps to cover your tracks?) and finally managing to summon your ship in some quiet canyon a few km away would have made a much better ending.

As to the double-death thing, that just sounds like they got you and then your recalled ship and that you were unlucky enough to re-spawn just in time to suffer both.
That's cold.

Yes it was good fun, could have done with a better ending though lol.

 

[superflyguy]

not sure i'll get chance to complete this race. after 2.2 dropped my only option was to break out my Orca 'Amen Break' and do some passenger missions. I'm only heading about 5 kylies out but it's slow going at 20ly a jump!

i might have a practice at FSD boosting. not sure my distinguished guests and legendary explorers will appreciate the experience of almost being fried or rattled to death, but you never know I might get a bonus!

@racer1 loved your SRV story. rep tank drained though.

fly crispy
<-lightspeed->

 

[Jhyrryl]

The first two entries have arrived, with a 5 minute difference separating them.

 

[Alec Turner]

First attempt: interdicted (abort)

Second attempt: emergency stop while trying to planetary brake a white dwarf (abort)

Third attempt: going really well until - unable to plot route, maximum distance exceded

Huh? What followed was literally about 10 minutes of just drifting outside Vasilyev Vision while I tried to figure out why the hell I couldn't plot a route to my next bookmark, or indeed anywhere apparently.

Then it dawned on me.

The route plotter can't plot multi-jump routes featuring a boosted first jump.

w. t. actual f.

Looks like it's back to the drawing board for a re-think on my route.

 

[BACKER #-4112]

I wonder what those Buckyballers are up to these days...

Oh, this seems interesting. Something different but interesting still.

Pilots are encouraged to utilize the supercharging of frame shift drives when near these white dwarf stars.

Well, this is new, never have I tried it. Something to have a go at I guess.

the race is more interested in testing a pilot's supercruise approach when there is no opportunity for gravity braking, than in testing docking/launch accuracy

I see, I already overshot a few stations just thinking about it...

Q: Some of these supercruise distances are really far away.
A: That's not a question.

You just earned a +1 for that, thanks for the chuckle.

I'll have to do a few dry runs first, see how I go, before i declare intent to race participate.

 

[AkenBosch]

Then it dawned on me.

The route plotter can't plot multi-jump routes featuring a boosted first jump.

Yes, the same as with the "old" jumponium boost, and the reason why I still haven't found a practical use for it, unless you REALLY have to make that single long jump toward something...for this race the biggest part of the scouting has been finding a star in reach of the boosted jump and in a good position to effectively allow a shorter route to the next destination...my convention use a numbered series of bookmarks for the race destinations, and a number+letter for each intermediate stage, so to have everyone after the other in the correct order.