Nice video Hanekura, and how lovely to hear the voice behind the legendary Sagittarius A* runs.
I've taken the liberty of adding this to the Buckyball Flight Academy thread.
I've also supplemented your DBX diagram slightly ...
Community Event / Creation Buckyball Racing Club presents: The A* Challenge
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Nice video Hanekura, and how lovely to hear the voice behind the legendary Sagittarius A* runs.
I've taken the liberty of adding this to the Buckyball Flight Academy thread.
I've also supplemented your DBX diagram slightly ...
Thanks for the non-Horizons tip Hanekura. And great time in the DBE!
I just did a little test in my Conda. With the route plotter set to just M & K stars, I did a 17 jump run in 770 seconds = 45.3s per jump. That's 1s per jump slower than my pre-2.2 Buckyball run. I'm not sure just how representative this is because I'm in a relatively sparse part of the Perseus arm so the next system wasn't always directly behind the star, but there again I don't think I've got the technique right yet either. With a cool ship like the Conda and small, cool stars there's no issue with hitting the FSD whilst right next to the corona (never even got close to 100%) but I was constantly getting the obscured message.
For unlimited runs, a 1s delay probably isn't a big issue since we can now get greater jump ranges (modded life support) to offset it. And if using jumponium and/or neutron stars then there probably isn't going to be a delay at all. But Alot probably doesn't have to worry about his stock Conda time ever being beaten (he'll go out and beat it himself now I've said that
)
I just did a little test in my Conda. With the route plotter set to just M & K stars, I did a 17 jump run in 770 seconds = 45.3s per jump. That's 1s per jump slower than my pre-2.2 Buckyball run. I'm not sure just how representative this is because I'm in a relatively sparse part of the Perseus arm so the next system wasn't always directly behind the star, but there again I don't think I've got the technique right yet either. With a cool ship like the Conda and small, cool stars there's no issue with hitting the FSD whilst right next to the corona (never even got close to 100%) but I was constantly getting the obscured message.
For unlimited runs, a 1s delay probably isn't a big issue since we can now get greater jump ranges (modded life support) to offset it. And if using jumponium and/or neutron stars then there probably isn't going to be a delay at all. But Alot probably doesn't have to worry about his stock Conda time ever being beaten (he'll go out and beat it himself now I've said that
)
Ayep. And therein lies the problem. A 1 second per jump delay is, for an unmodified Anaconda, about 10 minutes of delay on an A* run. That's huge.
Cool - both for the academy and for the adjustment to the pic.
With an A* run, you're talking about 750 jumps for the DBX. The damage adds up - even those little bits where it's just above 100%. I had 80% left for my thrusters on this run; any lower, and I would have run the risk of malfunction.
Just something I noticed while in the Asp on the way back from the last run. In Horizons, witchspace times for systems with planets was about 17-18 seconds. This will not do.
As for Anaconda, Asp, and Hauler... I'd need to experiment more. I wasn't speedrunning in the Asp on the way back, so I don't know about long-term viability... that said, almost universally, the case where the outgoing star is behind the newly-arrived star is generally most difficult to navigate. I do know that, with the Hauler, it is absolutely necessary to dive straight in to start fueling, so this would cause a significant disruption to a Hauler run.
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New Buckyball race thread incoming!
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...b-Presents-Kick-the-Alien-(and-run-like-hell)
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...b-Presents-Kick-the-Alien-(and-run-like-hell)
I thought I felt a disturbance on the big board...decided I better pop in and take a look.
Holy, flaming fuel scoops! That is a fast DBX time!
Congrats, top piloting
Holy, flaming fuel scoops! That is a fast DBX time!
Congrats, top piloting
Good evening guys and gals. The 2.2 update made me curious if I'm still able to beat my own time. My standard class Anaconda "A.S.C. Pricefield" and I are prepared to start any time between Saturday afternoon and Sunday night, depending on real life stuff and server stability. This is going to be a "personal record or bust" one-way trip with some risk in it, so it's possible - in a worst case scenario - that I abort the whole run after for example 15,000 ly if there's no chance to get anywhere close to my previous 10:07:49 time. Hopefully though the finish line is going to be as thrilling as in my first run.
Cya in the void!
Cya in the void!
Good evening guys and gals. The 2.2 update made me curious if I'm still able to beat my own time. My standard class Anaconda "A.S.C. Pricefield" and I are prepared to start any time between Saturday afternoon and Sunday night, depending on real life stuff and server stability. This is going to be a "personal record or bust" one-way trip with some risk in it, so it's possible - in a worst case scenario - that I abort the whole run after for example 15,000 ly if there's no chance to get anywhere close to my previous 10:07:49 time. Hopefully though the finish line is going to be as thrilling as in my first run.
Cya in the void!
Will be interesting indeed to hear how you find it compared to pre 2.2. Will that next jump alignment thing make an Anaconda run faster or slower I wonder. Good luck!
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Hey guys, I need your help! I'm currently running the race, and I'm doing really good until now (about 2:30h into it). BUT I just looked for and cannot find the Galileo screenshots! I made 4-5 screenshots since then, but I see only the last one right now. First I thought I might have something to do with ED Toolbox, which I've installed a few weeks ago. But when I started the tool, it only showed me the stated 'last screenshot' too. It'd make no sense anyway, since there's still that 'last screenshot'... Why? Where could the other screenshots be??
I think I'm currently losing a lot of seconds while dealing with this problem - and I'm really scared that my run wouldn't count at all if I'm not able to find these screenshots... So please. Anyone?!?
I think I'm currently losing a lot of seconds while dealing with this problem - and I'm really scared that my run wouldn't count at all if I'm not able to find these screenshots... So please. Anyone?!?
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Doesn't EDToolbox rename or move your screnshots according to the name of the system you were in when you took them? Have you tried sorting your screenshots folder on date rather than name to find the newest ones?
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Great scott! I have no clue how this happened, or why (since the other screenshot was still there when I looked for them), but I found them in an "originals" folder. EDToolbox still doesn't show me the screenshots, but as long as they are on my harddrive it's all cool... [downcast]
Sorry for the panic, I was kinda shocked though.
Focus back on the run. Gotta be fun tonight!
Update of my journey:
23:15 UTC: Witchspace won't let me go for quite some extra time, and then: Matchmaking error. It takes me some time to get back into the game, and of course they put me back into the system where I started the jump - without the fuel I needed for the next jump. I don't know how much time I lost, but hopefully it's going to be the only server problem I gotta handle.
23:50 UTC: About half-time. The server error appearently added 4-5 minutes to my time, but it's still an awesome run. I won't dare to aim a specific finish time yet, because there's so much that can happen on 13,000 ly. Just focus on the run, Kirby. That's the only factor you can control anyway.
01:15 UTC: Boy, those super-massive stars have a strong ability to slow you down. I've encountered a few of them recently. I can't remember how bad they were before 2.2, but with the new next jump alignment they are definitely the bummer among the stars.
01:35 UTC: 2/3 is done, and space slowly becomes brighter. I started to drink lemonade containing caffeine - no brand advertising here. Just kidding, it's a Coke. I'm confident it'll help me to gain a few important seconds.
01:50 UTC: You may wonder why I'm talking about seconds on a multiple hour race. Firstly, on my Buckyball SagA* debut I ended up 16 seconds behind CMDR m4mF and 17 seconds in front of CMDR Macros Black. Secondly, according to my current calculations it's possible that I can beat a legend by a pretty close time. I am NOT talking about you, CMDR Alot... Heck, how is such a time even possible? Hahah!
02:20 UTC: Another matchmaking server error! Luckily it wasn't in witchspace this time, so I was able to jump directly from normal space to the next system after restarting the game. Oh man, anxiety's my co-pilot now.
02:30 UTC: I had a lead of one minute, now I'm three minutes behind. Now it's time to fight! Unfortunately I'm running out of time/jumps to get those minutes back. You can only save so much per jump...
03:10 UTC: About one hour to go. Still two minutes behind. But even if I don't get that time, this is going to be a huge success. I will now focus on the last few thousand light years. Will report my time when I'm done.
03:30 UTC: That's it. The third matchmaking server error of the day shatters my last hope. Now I have to secure what I got so far.
03:45 UTC: Matchmaking server error number four. It's getting annoying, guys!
04:10 UTC: I plotted the last part. Pray for stable servers...
04:21 UTC: I made it! Wowser!
Start: 19:27:00 UTC in Galileo Station, Sol
End: 04:21:02 UTC in Sagittarius A*
Time: 08:54:02
That's rank 5 between CMDR Rusticolus and.. CMDR Rusticolus. [big grin]
With only two out of four server errors I might have beaten his Anaconda time, since each error cost me at least three minutes. But hey, that's the natural danger we all have to face. Looking at this great time, I'm more than satisfied. 9:30:00 would have been awesome, but under 9 hours? I don't think I could do any better. To the top four guys: You are terrific!
I'll hand in the screenshots tomorrow, and I will report my experiences with the 2.2 changes. For now I'm done and need some rest, as most of you could probably empathize...
Sorry for the panic, I was kinda shocked though.
Focus back on the run. Gotta be fun tonight!
Update of my journey:
23:15 UTC: Witchspace won't let me go for quite some extra time, and then: Matchmaking error. It takes me some time to get back into the game, and of course they put me back into the system where I started the jump - without the fuel I needed for the next jump. I don't know how much time I lost, but hopefully it's going to be the only server problem I gotta handle.
23:50 UTC: About half-time. The server error appearently added 4-5 minutes to my time, but it's still an awesome run. I won't dare to aim a specific finish time yet, because there's so much that can happen on 13,000 ly. Just focus on the run, Kirby. That's the only factor you can control anyway.
01:15 UTC: Boy, those super-massive stars have a strong ability to slow you down. I've encountered a few of them recently. I can't remember how bad they were before 2.2, but with the new next jump alignment they are definitely the bummer among the stars.
01:35 UTC: 2/3 is done, and space slowly becomes brighter. I started to drink lemonade containing caffeine - no brand advertising here. Just kidding, it's a Coke. I'm confident it'll help me to gain a few important seconds.
01:50 UTC: You may wonder why I'm talking about seconds on a multiple hour race. Firstly, on my Buckyball SagA* debut I ended up 16 seconds behind CMDR m4mF and 17 seconds in front of CMDR Macros Black. Secondly, according to my current calculations it's possible that I can beat a legend by a pretty close time. I am NOT talking about you, CMDR Alot... Heck, how is such a time even possible? Hahah!
02:20 UTC: Another matchmaking server error! Luckily it wasn't in witchspace this time, so I was able to jump directly from normal space to the next system after restarting the game. Oh man, anxiety's my co-pilot now.
02:30 UTC: I had a lead of one minute, now I'm three minutes behind. Now it's time to fight! Unfortunately I'm running out of time/jumps to get those minutes back. You can only save so much per jump...
03:10 UTC: About one hour to go. Still two minutes behind. But even if I don't get that time, this is going to be a huge success. I will now focus on the last few thousand light years. Will report my time when I'm done.
03:30 UTC: That's it. The third matchmaking server error of the day shatters my last hope. Now I have to secure what I got so far.
03:45 UTC: Matchmaking server error number four. It's getting annoying, guys!
04:10 UTC: I plotted the last part. Pray for stable servers...
04:21 UTC: I made it! Wowser!
Start: 19:27:00 UTC in Galileo Station, Sol
End: 04:21:02 UTC in Sagittarius A*
Time: 08:54:02
That's rank 5 between CMDR Rusticolus and.. CMDR Rusticolus. [big grin]
With only two out of four server errors I might have beaten his Anaconda time, since each error cost me at least three minutes. But hey, that's the natural danger we all have to face. Looking at this great time, I'm more than satisfied. 9:30:00 would have been awesome, but under 9 hours? I don't think I could do any better. To the top four guys: You are terrific!
I'll hand in the screenshots tomorrow, and I will report my experiences with the 2.2 changes. For now I'm done and need some rest, as most of you could probably empathize...
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Start: 19:27:00 UTC in Galileo Station, Sol
End: 04:21:02 UTC in Sagittarius A*
Time: 08:54:02
That's rank 5 between CMDR Rusticolus and.. CMDR Rusticolus. [big grin]
With only two out of four server errors I might have beaten his Anaconda time, since each error cost me at least three minutes. But hey, that's the natural danger we all have to face. Looking at this great time, I'm more than satisfied. 9:30:00 would have been awesome, but under 9 hours? I don't think I could do any better. To the top four guys: You are terrific!
I'll hand in the screenshots tomorrow, and I will report my experiences with the 2.2 changes. For now I'm done and need some rest, as most of you could probably empathize...
Congratulations, that's a hell of a time (especially considering all the disconnects and the screenshot panic).
P.S. for future reference, you can stop EDToolbox from messing with your screenshots by clicking on the gear icon in the top-right, picking the "Edit INI File" option, and changing the 'old_screendir' setting at the bottom so it's just set to "".
Well done, CMDR! Great time. o7
Thanks. And yes, next time I'll be prepared when it comes to screenshots. Learning more every day.
Oh, and by the way: I need to do some Rep elsewhere first, you know..
Alright, let's see. I think there are three changes in the 2.2 update that are relevant for a Buckyball Run to SagA*:
A) The new next jump alignment, resulting in an obscured next jump target when entering the system.
B) A bugfix regarding the route plotting problem in high density regions, i.e. a few thousand light years around SagA*.
C) A new feature to plot a route according to the Galaxy Map filter settings, in our case: Scoopable stars.
First of all, there are a couple of reasons that I was able to beat my previous time by more than an hour, which have nothing to do with these changes. The experience of my first run, a greater focus on the run (not watching movies at the same time etc) to avoid mistakes, a more risky fitting, the list goes on. So it's very difficult to say whether those changes made things easier or harder. I'm sure other people will be motivate to test the new environment, and maybe they'll be able to evaluate its impact for the run.
Starting with C), it's probably a trade-off to consider: By plotting a route via scoopable stars only, one can do the run with a smaller fuel tank and therefore increase the jump range. On the other hand, you're forced to scoop a bunch of fuel in every system. There are a number of reasons why this could be problematic: Even among the scoopable stars are those that are annoying to scoop and slow you down. And if you get a server timeout while in witchspace, you'll be put back into the source system without the fuel you would have spent for the jump. If you have a small fuel tank, you'll need to jump into supercruise, fly over to the star and refuel once again. Hella costy. There are probably more pros and cons. However, I used the new feature, and it worked good for me (except for those server errors).
I cannot say very much about B), since I didn't dare to voluntarily plot a route in the center without using the magic numbers. There were two moments when it might have helped me: One time I unintentionally plotted a route 100 ly too short. Maybe it was random, but apperantly it didn't take much longer than usual. The other moment was the last plot of the trip, 473 ly to SagA*. Same experience: The route has been calculated pretty quick. I think the bugfix works very well, but please don't rely on my observations when planning a route.
Finally, the next jump alignment (A). Because of my decision to use a small fuel tank, I needed to refuel a lot in every system anyways, so I was never able to start charging my FSD right after its cooldown. I think this fact reduced the obscured jump target problem a lot, even though I lost a few seconds from time to time, especially in front of super-massive stars. While it's most obviously a change that has the potential to slow you down, there are ways to minimize the effect by spending the time as useful as possible.
I'm curious to learn what other pilots think. Get out there and have fun!
Awesome time CMDR, welcome to the sub-9hr club
Was that a pre-planned run or just using the new filters? [EDIT - cross posted with you]
Dammit! I liked having both times together [big grin]
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Schrodinger's Race
The Race is dead.
The Race is alive and well.
That isn't a contradiction, oddly enough.
Since I came back to the game after a several-month hiatus, I realized that I needed to upgrade Shiroe. I'd been putting off the upgrades long enough; I'm not a fan of mining for materials, as I'd much rather be out of the gravity well than in it. That said, it was well past time to seek out the upgrade. Took the first roll; happened to get me above 2700 on the optimized mass, so I was quite happy with it. Not as good as Alot's 62ly behemoth, but, again, quite happy.
Which meant taking it out for a spin. It only took a couple of kylies to figure out that, in one very important respect, the A* run is dead. Alot's, Rusti's, and Rankaze's standard-class records in the Anaconda, Asp X, and Hauler will never be broken. I've flown Asps and Anacondas since 2.2; because the star system entry point is based on the location of the previous star system, the act of circling around the star every time is likely to add a second or two to each jump. And, as anyone who's raced it will tell you, those seconds add up. However... as I've pointed out, there are far more ships than Anacondas, Asps, and Haulers, with plenty of class records to break. Moreover, there's no rule that says you have to go fast to A*.
Anyway, after those couple of kylies, I came to a realization, and turned back toward the bubble. It was not yet my time, not yet my place, not yet my circumstance.
Because, well, just because the race is done, doesn't mean the racer slows down.
I had initially been thinking of a long, slow exploration mission around the galaxy, a couple of kylies at a time. Part of that plan was to push beyond Beagle, beyond the limits a 40ly jump range imposed. But, ultimately, I realized that such a method just wouldn't be me. I don't go out there slow. It'll be a couple of weeks before I'll be ready - my next couple of Saturdays have various commitments, and I want to build up some jumponium for the post-Beagle explorations - but the plan is clear.
It's time to see what a 58ly Anaconda can do on a Beagle-to-Beagle run.
The Race is Dead.
Long Live the Race.
Now, if we can just get Drak to update things...
The Race is dead.
The Race is alive and well.
That isn't a contradiction, oddly enough.
Since I came back to the game after a several-month hiatus, I realized that I needed to upgrade Shiroe. I'd been putting off the upgrades long enough; I'm not a fan of mining for materials, as I'd much rather be out of the gravity well than in it. That said, it was well past time to seek out the upgrade. Took the first roll; happened to get me above 2700 on the optimized mass, so I was quite happy with it. Not as good as Alot's 62ly behemoth, but, again, quite happy.
Which meant taking it out for a spin. It only took a couple of kylies to figure out that, in one very important respect, the A* run is dead. Alot's, Rusti's, and Rankaze's standard-class records in the Anaconda, Asp X, and Hauler will never be broken. I've flown Asps and Anacondas since 2.2; because the star system entry point is based on the location of the previous star system, the act of circling around the star every time is likely to add a second or two to each jump. And, as anyone who's raced it will tell you, those seconds add up. However... as I've pointed out, there are far more ships than Anacondas, Asps, and Haulers, with plenty of class records to break. Moreover, there's no rule that says you have to go fast to A*.
Anyway, after those couple of kylies, I came to a realization, and turned back toward the bubble. It was not yet my time, not yet my place, not yet my circumstance.
Because, well, just because the race is done, doesn't mean the racer slows down.
I had initially been thinking of a long, slow exploration mission around the galaxy, a couple of kylies at a time. Part of that plan was to push beyond Beagle, beyond the limits a 40ly jump range imposed. But, ultimately, I realized that such a method just wouldn't be me. I don't go out there slow. It'll be a couple of weeks before I'll be ready - my next couple of Saturdays have various commitments, and I want to build up some jumponium for the post-Beagle explorations - but the plan is clear.
It's time to see what a 58ly Anaconda can do on a Beagle-to-Beagle run.
The Race is Dead.
Long Live the Race.
Now, if we can just get Drak to update things...
That's the spirit!
When you say Beagle-to-Beagle, do you mean Bubble-to-Beagle? That challenge already exists, albeit part of the 65klys from Sol club. Have I misunderstood, are you proposing something different?
Nothing new, other than the fsd mods. Many of those runs already listed, including my own, started off at Beagle 2 Landing in Asellus Primus.
I get it now, Beagle 2 landing to Beagle point - I haven't been in the bubble for so long I'd forgotten the names for places!
Good shout on the B2B challenge though, FSD mods do now make it more accessible and therefore hopefully more popular. But there must be some breath left in the A* challenge yet. Start a new post 2.2 leaderboard?
Good shout on the B2B challenge though, FSD mods do now make it more accessible and therefore hopefully more popular. But there must be some breath left in the A* challenge yet. Start a new post 2.2 leaderboard?
I must admit, my first thought when I read that change in the 2.2 patch notes was "awwww $#@%" for that exact reason.
Amen.
Oh boy, here we go.
Best of luck, as always!
I'm waiting to hear if there are going to be lightweight sensors in 2.3 and make a call as to when I want to do another run... But I do think an engineered attempt could be in order sooner or later for me. Not a Beagle-to-Beagle one though, I'll leave that madness to you.
If anything, I feel like the engineered board is likely to be the one that sees a lot more life in it from now on... Plenty of free records up for grabs (about 30...?) and I think pretty much anyone who's got Horizons will have done a bit of engineering - at least far enough to get a better FSD. Definitely life in it yet.
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- Status