Community Event / Creation Buckyball Run A*: What do you do when a mountain is there? Move it.

[Kyra Inari]

Well, I've managed to make it halfway in my trusty little Sidewinder - I'm now closer to Sadge than I am to Sol. Just took 11 hours and 24 minutes.

And that was the easy half.

Yea see, you'll get there first. It'll be at least another day before I hit the halfway mark..

Stupid work...

Fly safe commander! And watch out for Thargolds

Also, has anyone else noticed the mobile site is extremely glitchy?

 

[FoxTwo]

For you guys that are flying the smaller ships (eagle, vipers etc), Jump Range is a big issue especially when crossing the spiral arms.

How I did it in my Cobra was to go UP the galactic plane (or "down" works too) about 100 LY or so... you'll completely bypass the Aucoks sector of brown dwarves and will have a much easier time crossing the arms with a 20-LY or less jump range.

Being away from the central galactic plane where "everyone else is" also helps the Galaxy Map plot routes quicker - there are less stars to worry about, and less need to "optimise" your route at 99%. When I did my run I have never had a route plot for longer than 15 to 20 seconds. Never. In fact, nearer to the Galactic core (1500 LY), the lowest distance I'd needed to plot was 300 LY to get a reasonable time (less than 30 seconds). After that, my final 600 or 400 LY plot was an instant-plot direct to Sag A*.

So I've never encountered what some have reported here - 15 minute plots, single 20 LY jumps, manual jumping etc... I never needed to do any of these.

Just putting it out there in case someone actually reads this

 

[Alec Turner]

For you guys that are flying the smaller ships (eagle, vipers etc), Jump Range is a big issue especially when crossing the spiral arms.

How I did it in my Cobra was to go UP the galactic plane (or "down" works too) about 100 LY or so... you'll completely bypass the Aucoks sector of brown dwarves and will have a much easier time crossing the arms with a 20-LY or less jump range.

Being away from the central galactic plane where "everyone else is" also helps the Galaxy Map plot routes quicker - there are less stars to worry about, and less need to "optimise" your route at 99%. When I did my run I have never had a route plot for longer than 15 to 20 seconds. Never. In fact, nearer to the Galactic core (1500 LY), the lowest distance I'd needed to plot was 300 LY to get a reasonable time (less than 30 seconds). After that, my final 600 or 400 LY plot was an instant-plot direct to Sag A*.

So I've never encountered what some have reported here - 15 minute plots, single 20 LY jumps, manual jumping etc... I never needed to do any of these.

Just putting it out there in case someone actually reads this

I for one am reading this avidly. My biggest concern (aside from deep vein thrombosis) for my run is this route plotting issue, particularly as my PC is pretty ancient and not fast at the best of times! These tips are golden as far as I'm concerned. Re: outfitting my Asp, I know a lot has been written but my basic plan is to take AFMUs, Heat sinks, Advanced discovery scanner, Detailed surface scanner (for a leisurely return journey) but otherwise aim for the absolute maximum jump range I can get. Does that sound about right?

P.S. My personal goal is to do it in under 15 hrs.

 

[FoxTwo]

I for one am reading this avidly. My biggest concern (aside from deep vein thrombosis) for my run is this route plotting issue, particularly as my PC is pretty ancient and not fast at the best of times! These tips are golden as far as I'm concerned. Re: outfitting my Asp, I know a lot has been written but my basic plan is to take AFMUs, Heat sinks, Advanced discovery scanner, Detailed surface scanner (for a leisurely return journey) but otherwise aim for the absolute maximum jump range I can get. Does that sound about right?

I dunno... for my planned Vulture run (21.5 LY max range possible) I do NOT plan to have any sort of discovery scanners. I plan to Self-Destruct at Sag A* for an instant express ticket home

P.S. My personal goal is to do it in under 15 hrs.

Honestly I doubt that is possible with a small ship. For an Asp, Yeah... but you'd need to jump around 2000 LY per hour or so to achieve that time. If you're taking more than 40 mins per 1,000 LY, you're already looking at a 20-hour trip.

 

[Rankaze]

I dunno... for my planned Vulture run (21.5 LY max range possible) I do NOT plan to have any sort of discovery scanners. I plan to Self-Destruct at Sag A* for an instant express ticket home



Honestly I doubt that is possible with a small ship. For an Asp, Yeah... but you'd need to jump around 2000 LY per hour or so to achieve that time. If you're taking more than 40 mins per 1,000 LY, you're already looking at a 20-hour trip.

I think I may be able to make less than 15 in a Hauler, but... Hauler. And I'm by no means sure of it.

 

[Alec Turner]

Honestly I doubt that is possible with a small ship. For an Asp, Yeah... but you'd need to jump around 2000 LY per hour or so to achieve that time. If you're taking more than 40 mins per 1,000 LY, you're already looking at a 20-hour trip.

Well, 6 other Asp pilots have done it in under 15, so I didn't think I was aiming for the impossible. I kinda figured the hurdle for these sort of times was simply the ability to do it in one sitting and I'm well up for giving that a go (famous last words).

 

[robinjb]

I think I may be able to make less than 15 in a Hauler, but... Hauler. And I'm by no means sure of it.

Hauler with a 32ly range and a good run could do it in less than 12 hrs imo. just depends on how good your scooping and plotting is. personally I wouldn't go 2 ton tank.. but if you did youd get even better range. but risk more replots due to unscoopables. its all about the jump range once you sort out the magic plot number. unless your running for fun of course and don't mind multiple sittings.
Its a great cheap option to run in one sitting, if you can stump up the money for the 3A scoop even better.

 

[Esvandiary]

I think I may be able to make less than 15 in a Hauler, but... Hauler. And I'm by no means sure of it.

If you're willing to risk the half-size tank - giving you just over 2 jumps per tank, similar to what I had in the Anaconda - the Hauler will actually jump further than a full-size tank Asp, and scoop slightly faster (relatively, of course), to boot.
That does assume no scanners though; those really kill the jump range on something as small as the Hauler.

Even with a full-size tank, you'd probably only lose about 90 minutes or so.

So, I'd say yes, under 15 hours in the Hauler should be very possible

 

[Rankaze]

If you're willing to risk the half-size tank - giving you just over 2 jumps per tank, similar to what I had in the Anaconda - the Hauler will actually jump further than a full-size tank Asp, and scoop slightly faster (relatively, of course), to boot.
That does assume no scanners though; those really kill the jump range on something as small as the Hauler.

Even with a full-size tank, you'd probably only lose about 90 minutes or so.

So, I'd say yes, under 15 hours in the Hauler should be very possible

Yep. in my flight test, I went 1000 ly in 28 minutes.

If I could sustain that pace, I'd be looking at something like 12 hours 20 minutes. But I don't expect I can, with the need for occasional breaks, eating at some point, replots, and route planner issues.

Allowing the loss of two hours for those things gives me a reasonable target i think.

Also, that flight test did include undocking time, which won't be a factor after the first leg.

 

[Kyra Inari]

A 2 ton tank isn't fun...

 

[IronLIch]

*static*
...
*krrchrrrtchf*
...
"This is Cmdr Mad-Max to anyone out there..."
...
"Have had trouble with my route planner since leaving Galileo at 9:09:09 today"
...
"It seems to have a fondness of unscoopables to the extent of seeking them out, even in clusters of FOG-KBAM"
...
*chfrrkrghft*
...
"But I will wrestle that crappy piece of machinery into submission. The journey continues! Mad-Max out."
...
*static*

Well, I've managed to make it halfway in my trusty little Sidewinder - I'm now closer to Sadge than I am to Sol. Just took 11 hours and 24 minutes.

And that was the easy half.

A 2 ton tank isn't fun...

Good luck and Gord speed to all of you. o7

Remember, when in doubt, trust the Universe to provide. It secretly yearns for us to discover it.

 

[Takaru Minari]

Oh, provide it does. I haven't had to replot due to unscoopables in the last five 1k light year (kilolight years? light millenia?) stretches.

On a 2T Fuel Tank that provides two full-range or up to three medium-range jumps. Guess my Sidewinder's actually a Multicrew ship, 'cause Lady Luck seems to be riding shotgun.

 

[Kyra Inari]

Oh, provide it does. I haven't had to replot due to unscoopables in the last five 1k light year (kilolight years? light millenia?) stretches.

On a 2T Fuel Tank that provides two full-range or up to three medium-range jumps. Guess my Sidewinder's actually a Multicrew ship, 'cause Lady Luck seems to be riding shotgun.

I bet you'll get a better jump range if you kick her out, I heard that is fat.

 

[Takaru Minari]

Well, that would explain why every outfitter insist on my ships having reached Maximum Mass despite there still being 0.4T mass left in the Thrusters. Lady Luck really is fat.

Fat chance that is.
I knew these sunglasses would come in handy somehow.

 

[TunaMage]

Lady Luck really is fat.

Well, hopefully the last stages aren't too brutal with your galmap, because it ain't over till your Lady Luck sings, it would appear

 

[Kulzar]

Surprising turn of event! Thanks to fate, my plans for today had to be dropped and I can therefore start my run... in about 30 minutes! =D

I have stocked my hauler with food, energy drinks, emergency celebration fuel (scotch) and hours upon hours of audio entertainment!

Let's do this!

 

[Esvandiary]

Well, that would explain why every outfitter insist on my ships having reached Maximum Mass despite there still being 0.4T mass left in the Thrusters. Lady Luck really is fat.

Fat chance that is.
I knew these sunglasses would come in handy somehow.

Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh

Also, I just realised that the Sidewinder battle is Inari vs Minari!

Surprising turn of event! Thanks to fate, my plans for today had to be dropped and I can therefore start my run... in about 30 minutes! =D

I have stocked my hauler with food, energy drinks, emergency celebration fuel (scotch) and hours upon hours of audio entertainment!

Let's do this!

Hooray! Good luck, fly safe

 

[Symbiont]

Alright bros I just launched
Sag A* here I come

 

[drakhyr]

I have stocked my hauler with food, energy drinks, emergency celebration fuel (scotch) and hours upon hours of audio entertainment!

Surely stocking up on audio is unnecessary - all you need is a dial set to Radio Sidewinder.

Oh, sorry, that's the competition for you, isn't it

Good luck to all those running, you'll pass me heading slowly in the other direction somewhere around 19,000 LY from Sol...

 

[Esvandiary]

Good luck to all those running, you'll pass me heading slowly in the other direction somewhere around 19,000 LY from Sol...

Eh that's a point, this is the advantage of not having moved an inch since finishing - I can be the Congratulations Barge!