POS indicates current position based on submitted race time. NA Has not launched. UNK Launched with no submitted time.
UR Under Review. DNF Did Not Finish. DQ Disqualified. PEN Penalty. Dots indicate number of BBR's run. Reverse dots indicate a BBR win.
Highlighted records indicate a new time posted during the current period.
Times updated daily, or when I can manage it.
Looking for info on the previous Buckyball Runs? Click here for the Buckyblog.
The "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...
So what is it?
The Buckyball Run is the name of 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 the run in whatever vessel they have provided it has the jump range. The Buckyball Run isn't just about coming in first, it's about taking the dare. Sidewinders and Haulers all the way up to fully tricked out Anacondas have all made the Run.
So... What are we doing this time?
The Buckyball Run 7 is a "Scramble" race. Instead of a long route stretching across hundreds of light years, pilots will have to dock at seven stations of their choosing in seven closely spaced systems before return to the starting point. Because this might be more confusing than previous events, I took the liberty of drawing a map:
(Click the map for a more readable version. - Mirana)
What the hell kind of map is that?!?
What are you, an art critic? Who died and made you Magellan? It's perfectly legible! Racers will launch from Cady City in No Chianga, and then hit any seven out of the eleven stations on the map in any order. Cady City does not count as one of the seven checkpoints. Basically pick 7 out of 11, then come home to Cady. Only dock at the listed stations. Take a screen shot of your dash clock at each stop, then another when you land back at Cady. Note all the checkpoints are full-size stations. No platforms. We don't discriminate against ships with big bones The pilot with the best time will be declared the winner!
This is as clear as mud.
Start at Cady city in No Chianga. Take a snapshot of your dash clock to mark your starting time.
Got it.
Pick any 7 of the 11 stations to visit. Take a snapshot of your dashclock as you dock at each one to prove you were there.
Got it.
Come back to Cady. Take another snap of your dashclock to mark your finish time.
Got it. Do I have to visit every system?
Nope. It's the stations that count. You need 7 out of the 11 listed. It's part of the theme. Buckyball 7. Get it?
Yeah, 7. Clever. And Cady City doesn't count toward the 7?
Nope. Cady is not a checkpoint, it's the finish line.
Why didn't you just say so?
I thought I did. But I was drunk when I drew up the map. Maybe you need to be drunk to read it.
So all ships compete together?
Yep. Ship modding has made classes irrelevant, and we still haven't been able to figure a way to segregate racers by ship class, FSD type, cost and hull color without a whole lot of rules. Rules mean work and since Bucky does all the work around here I do my best to lighten the load for him. So we keep it as simple as possible. The race will be run in two classes, and each can be run Multiplayer or Solo. First we have Unlimited, where you can race whatever you have, from a Sidewinder up to an Anaconda, configured however you like, and for racers who want to remove ship stats and money from the competition, there is always...
The Sidewinder Challenge
To give pilots a chance to test their skills against other pilots instead of their bank accounts, we have Sidewinder Challenge. With multiple ship ownership, this is a lot easier than back when you had to sell your baby to race a Sidey. It works like this: at Cady City, purchase a stock Sidewinder. (Talk to Larenz Giler down at AAAA Ships 'N' Service. He'll make you a good deal. Mention the Buckyball and get 10% off of a hull wash and detailing) Fit your stock Sidey with an A2 FSD and A2 Thrusters. (EDIT: Cady appears not to be stocking A2 FSD's. Slide over to Ray Port in Shesmu. They've got them there. Thanks for nothing, Larenz!) The whole package will run you about 250-300K. Strip out the loaner pulse lasers to increase jump range. After that you can't change, remove, or add any other component. That means no fuel scoop, no other downgrades to remove mass, or anything else. You have to dock in order to refuel. (in this race it shouldn't be an issue) The purpose of this race is to put all your piloting skills to use: navigation, supercruise management, docking, the works. May the best pilot win.Here's what your Regulation Sidewinder should look like at launch:
If you've got a Sidewinder but don't want to follow these restrictions you can of course run it in the Unlimited class. It'd be cool to see exactly what a tricked out Sidey is capable of.
How long does this take?
Give yourself 25-40 minutes to complete this run.
Anything else?
Screenshots will verify the racers' times. Take one before you launch and one each as you land at each of the seven checkpoints. The difference between the time you launch at Cady and when you return will be your time for the race. You will also need to provide a screenshot of your vessel in the Outfitting screen showing the internal configuration and performance stats.
That's, like, 10 whole screenshots.
Relax. The computer does all the work for you.
NOTE: if you intend to do more than one run, just send your start/stop screenshots from Cady. When you are satisfied with your time and don't want to make any more attempts, send me all the links to your pictures. That way you obsessive types don't have to spend all day uploading your shots. Do note that if I post a time for you and you can't provide the screenshots by the end of the race, it's an automatic DQ. (cue dramatic music) To date, I'm the only Buckyballer ever to be disgraced with a DQ. Don't be like me.
ANOTHER NOTE: Pilots recording video of the race do not need to take screenshots provided the recording shows the clock at takeoff and landing at each checkpoint as well as the Outfitting screen as outlined above. YETANOTHER NOTE: If your video is going to take days to convert and post, don't worry about it. Grab a screenshot of outfitting, your takeoff time and landing time at Cady and send that instead. That'll be good enough to get on the board. You will still be expected to provide the full video at the end of the race, though, or get the dreaded DQ. (cue dramatic music.)
The deadline to submit times is 23:59 game time, Saturday, 11 April 3301. You make as many attempts as you like. Open play and Solo times will be logged separately. Please note open or solo play when submitting your times.
So, to participate in the Buckyball Run 7:
The Important Stuff (How to register and race)
- Post your intent to race in this thread, or if you are not a forum member, email (bucky at electricz dot net) with your info. List the following:
- Your commander's name (if different than your user name)
- Ship Name
- Ship Type
- Your answer for the Official Buckyball Question of the Race: "Who is your favorite Artificial Intelligence? Computer, robot, or whatever?"
- Make sure your ship is in tip-top shape at Cady City in the No Chianga system. Make repairs, remove any excess mass, get it configured how you want it for the race. You should have at least 10ly jump range to make this Run.
- Open the Outfitting screen and hit F10 for a screenshot of your ship. Be sure to capture Power Plant, Thruster, FSD and Distributor statistics. You will send this with your race time submission.
- Make sure you are on the surface and prepare for launch. If you start your clock in the hangar you'll be unhappy.
- Hit F10 to take a screenshot or start your video capture, showing your location and time. You need it in order to qualify your run.
- Launch and get going, champ! The clock is ticking!
- Navigate your way to and dock any 7 stations on the map in any order. No other stations count. Cady City does not count as one of the seven checkpoints.
- At each checkpoint, hit F10 to screenshot as soon as your dash clock comes up, showing your time and location.
- Return to the finish line by docking at Cady City in the No Chianga system, the station you started from. Don't forget to take that last screenshot of your finishing time.
- PM me links to your screenshots. If you are going to make another attempt, just the first and last screenshots at Cady will do. For your final run, send links to all 10: your ship's configuration, start/stop at No Chianga, and the seven checkpoints. Don't post them in this thread. If you recorded video, send me the link.
- With your screenshots/video, include the following information:
- Your Ship Name
- Game Mode: Open or Solo/Private
- Your Race Time. Use Time Duration Calculator for easy calculation. Please include your time because I guarantee I will mess it up and you will be sad.
- Sit back, relax, have a drink or two (Bucky makes a mean martini!) and share tales of your race with your fellow Buckyballers for them to admire or ridicule as they see fit. Or, if you think you can do better, head on back out! You're already at the starting line. Why wouldn't you?
Submissions for race times will be accepted until 23:59 game time, Saturday, 11 April, 3301. If you are not a member of the forum and would like to participate anyway, email your links and route info to (bucky at electricz dot net.)
Sounds doable. Anything else?
We try to keep things informal and friendly during this thing. You can run as many times as you like, and your best time will be recorded for each class: Unlimited/Sidewinder/Open/Solo for a maximum of four entries. When the race period is over, I will post the collected times and a summary of the race, and pilots can share their screenshots, vidoes, routes and tactics with the world.
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. The Wings update in particular makes cheating super easy. But in the real life, earth-bound Cannonball Run the competitors were doing it just for the hell of it, and "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.
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. You may launch at any time. The Shotgun Shine is already docked at Cady and will be serving at both the start and finish. In light of the dangerous nature of the race, CMDR Ortilano is insisting that bar tabs are to be paid in full before you depart on your run. Good luck, Commanders!
FAQ in a following post since this long-winded drawn out message always puts me close to the limit, and I can't post two messages in a row without getting concatenated.
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