X^2 Marks the Dash
A Triple 8 Season Race
hosted by Commander Bruski
presented by the Buckyball Racing Club
The Straightest Distance Between 11 points is a straight up !
A Triple 8 Season Race
hosted by Commander Bruski
presented by the Buckyball Racing Club
The Straightest Distance Between 11 points is a straight up !
Back in 3300, the first "Buckyball" Braben Star-to-Shining-Star Memorial Trophy Dash, widely known simply as The Buckyball Run, was an unofficial, unsanctioned spaceship race run from Xiaoguan Hub in Magec to the Vonarburg Co-Operative in the Wyrd system, intended both as a celebration of the Federation Interstellar Star Route System and a protest against strict traffic laws coming into effect at the time.
As it was found out, the newly imposed 9.8c relativistic limit imposed by the Federation Maximum Velocity Law (imposed as an energy conservation measure) was actually slower than the quickest average velocities of point-to-point travels of Commander Ian Buchanan "Buckyball" Braben (no relation) in the first half of the 32nd century. In 3102, Braben flew the route in a Cowell-MgRath model 57 Sidewinder, averaging greater than 12.5c, setting a 32 minute record that stood for nearly 140 years.
Another motivation was the fun involved...
Oh wait, it's almost over?
I know! Time has sped by this year, and the
Ok, so what’s up this time?
The Buckyball Run is a series of point-to-point rally races through the space lanes of Elite Dangerous where pilots record their best time from start to finish. Commanders can make a run in whatever vessel they have provided it has the jump range. Sidewinders and Cobras all the way up to fully tricked out Anacondas have all made runs. But the Buckyball isn't just about coming in first, it's about taking the dare. It's putting all your piloting skills to use: navigation, supercruise navigation, power management, docking, to see how far you can push your ship and make it to the finish line in one piece (or as close as you can manage.)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know all that, this season you've already had ring-tossing, top-gunning, and a quest the reunite star-crossed lovers. What are you doing now? And why "X Marks the Dash"?
Why "X"? Because that's the shape! Why two X's? And because this year we hit 100, count 'em, ONE HUNDRED Buckyball Runs since 3300. We had to honor this auspicious occasion somehow. Rather than institute a black tie dress code it was easier to get all fancy and use a Roman numeral. And then square it because I'm a math teacher. Besides, I hate ties.
As for the race itself, "X Marks the Dash" is a "scramble," racing to reach all the checkpoints before returning to the starting line as quickly as possible in whatever ship you choose by whatever route you choose. Almost anything else goes; extra fuel tanks, under-sized fuel tanks, dirty drives, clean drives, fuzzy dice, wire-frames, bobble-heads, and what have you.
This time around we're combining the two old courses. "Big X" was for long range ships, and the "little x" for the shorter range competitors. But you're big, you're tough, you've got many lightyears under your belt, so you can run them both at once! Shoot video or take screenshots at the checkpoints to validate your time and submit them to be included on The Big Board.
As usual, I've stolen a map and images from the hard work of others. I recommend that you follow ElectricZ's lead and put it somewhere easy to see when flying.
The Course:
Start: VZ Corvi, docked at Ashton Gateway
Dock at these 10 checkpoints in any order:
Big X
- I Carinae, Somerset Station
- HDS 1065, Furukawa Terminal
- HIP 71515, Velho Dock
- Faust 3566, Collins Dock
- Wolf 1060, Pawelczyk Hangar
- Veneri, Al-Khayyam Hub
- BD-17 3725 (no station - take screenshot of forward view with clock before you jump to your next stop)
- Eta Corvi, Henslow City
- Magec, Xiaoguan Hub [GO HERE BEFORE WYRD!]
- Wyrd, Vonarburg Co-Operative [VISIT THIS AFTER MAGEC!]
Finish: back at VZ Corvi, docked at Ashton Gateway
You can fly any ship you like on the course, except for large ships. Large ships won't fit in the little x, although you're welcome to try! Little x has platforms, which are extra fun for docking dangerously. That also means medium ships may run into pad congestion. Also note that in BD-17 3725 there is no dock. Just make sure you can see your location (or the star selection) and your dash clock at the same time (and screenshot if necessary, though video is preferred) and jump to your next destination.
Oh, and because they weren't available in the Original Buckyball Run, no fuel scoops! (In Cobra Classic, turn off the module via your right side panel.)
Then run as many times as you like in any category you like, then hit the SUBMIT TIME button in this thread to record your pertinent information. Easy, peasy.
OK I think I got it. But let's get down to brass tacks. What do I get if I win? What do I get for doing any of this?
Everlasting glory and honor, and being recorded in the annals of Buckyballing forever!
Yeah, but really.
And bragging rights! Don’t you want to lord your victory over Sulu or Shaye?
I’m a nice person! I wouldn't gloat over them! Not too much at least...
Yeah surrrre. Well you also get season points! Very important, since it’s the last race.
That’s still just something made up! Where’s my prize money?! I could lose my ship. I could be doing long distance runs. I could get interdicted a million times. And after doing all of this I get nothing?
Oh. Well we do have beer mats.
Beer mats?
Yeah totally, keeps your dashboard clean and dry in a stylish commemorative fashion!
Oh that actually looks really nice.
Thank you! So we’ll see you there?
Yeah, I’m in it for the beer mat!
That's the spirit! It is a metric crapton of fun. We wouldn't be up to our hundred and somethingth race now if it weren't!
And I lied about not winning anything. After you complete just one Buckyball Run, you'll never fly the same again. Every trade run, every smuggling mission, every time you dock will become a race against the clock. If you think you can get from point A to point B fast now, you'll be amazed at how much time you chop off the clock once you get the technique down. That's a gift that keeps on giving. Not to mention linking up with some pretty awesome CMDRs. Oh, and you get a (virtual) bumper sticker for your ship. Everybody loves bumper stickers.
Plus it's just a lot of fun. You like fun, don't you?
Man, I LIVE for fun. So all ships compete together? Do I need Odyssey for this?
Yes, all ships compete together, and no you don't need Odyssey. However, spaceship modding is a fact of life now regardless of your version number, so if you don't have access to engineers, you will find yourself going up against modded ships. Don't let that shake you. Some pilots tune up perfectly race spec'd ships, others fly their fully outfitted regular ride to see what their machine can do. Sure, you won't take first from an Courier flying a Type-6, but you can compare your times to your fellow Type-6 pilots or other classes to see where you stand. More importantly, you get to know your favorite ship that much better.
BUT, for racers who want to remove ship stats, modding, and materials in the spirit of pure competition, there's always...
The Classic Cobra Class
To give pilots a chance to test their navigation and docking skills against other pilots instead of their bank accounts and engineering connections, we have the Classic Cobra Class. Buy a Cobra, fit it to the following "regulation" specs and take it out on the course. No mods allowed, no fancy FSDs or in-flight refueling. Everybody flies the same ship. Winning the comes down to planning and piloting, period.
Regulation Cobra at Coriolis.io
How long does this take?
Give yourself 30-40 minutes to complete this run, depending on your jump range. But I'm sure some ace pilot will finish it in twenty. There's always someone out there wrecking the curve...
Can I go race now?!
The race is open from 12:00 December 6th 3010 to 11:59 December 19th 3010 in-game time. No runs will be accepted that start after 11:59. You must submit runs within 24 hours. You make as many attempts as you like. Placement rankings will only count the top run per class per player.
The Important Stuff (How to register and race)
Allowed
Open/Private/Solo Modes
Legacy mode
Route Plotting
Hitting other waypoints between Magec and Wyrd
Cookiehole Loops
Death Helixes
Breaking the 100 m/s speed limit
Open Unlimited Only
Guardian FSD Booster
SCO Drive
Engineering
Not a Cobra Mk III
Not Allowed At All
Fuel Scooping
Supercharging FSD (at a Neutron Star or White Dwarf)
FSD Synthesis
Pre-charging FSD
Mandalay
Cobra Mk 5
Thargoid hitchhiking
Skipping Waypoints
Docking Computer
Supercruise Assist
SUBMIT RUN
Sounds doable. Anything else?
We try to keep things informal and friendly. You can run as many times as you like, and your best time will be recorded for each class. When the race period is over, I will post the collected times and a summary of the race, and pilots can share their screenshots, videos, routes and tactics with the world.
What can't I do?
No FSD injection, No fuel scooping, no Nav Lock Drops.
So what's to keep me from faking my screenshots or lying about my ship's configuration?
I can't stop you. Not at all. There are all kinds of ways you can cheat on this. But in the real life, earth-bound Cannonball Run the competitors were racing just for the fun of it. There was a "gentlemen's agreement that the vehicle entered would be driven the entire distance, not having it transported on another vehicle, nor having an identical second vehicle hidden near the finish, etc." That's the spirit of this little exercise. How fast can you make the run, using only your piloting skills the ship you've got? There's no need to cheat because what would that get you? There's no prize other than doing it. Besides, cheaters make Bucky sad. Do you want to make Bucky sad? Don't be that commander. Nobody likes that commander.
Thanks for the lecture. Anything else?
Nope, that about does it.
Buckyballers, set a course for VZ Corvi, and tune up your engines for the last race of the season!
Launches begin Friday. The bar is already open, and as usual, Fuel Rats drink free. Good luck, Commanders!
Addendum Pt. 1
Oh, I know, I'm going to use the new Mandalay ship!
Oh no, not until everyone can buy it without ARX! Gotta keep the playing field fair, y'know?
You may use any ship not purchasable for ARX, and also the Guardian FSD Boosters, and them new-fangled SCO drives. Be careful with your fuel though!
Aw man. And here I thought I had found a loophole!
Nope, that's MY thing!
What about supercruise assist?
You want a COMPUTER to FLY for you?! What sort of racer are you?
But it's faster!
Oh. Well that's a fair point. But no, it ruins the sport of the event. Same goes for using a friend for Navlock.
Can I use a docking computer?
Addendum Pt. 2
So about those loading times...
Due to ongoing instability issues with Witchspace, the use of Open mode, while theoretically encouraged, is no longer mandatory, and runs in Private or Solo mode will be accepted.
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