Can we get a Dev to chime in on Col 70?

[Dreadp1r4te]

Howdy folks and FDev - I took a long hiatus from Elite and recently returned to the game. I was disappointed to see that nothing ever came of the Col 70 permit lock mystery and connection the Thargoid Probes and such, and I've spent a lot of time theorizing, discussing, and researching this. There are still elements of the UP/Thargoid Probe that evade explanation (why does it point to Merope 5C? Why does it compare planetary statistics to Merope 5C but distance to a specific locked Col 70 system?) and there are portions of the spectrograph image that remain unexplained. Many of the community I interact with dismiss the "margins" of the UP spectro as noise or echoes, but it distinctively looks like there's more to be deciphered to me.

My question then, hopefully for the devs, is this: Is there more to be discovered about the Thargoid Probes? And is it currently possible in-game to find a way to access Col 70 space, either through an existing method (finding a permit) or some novel method we've yet to discover?

Please don't think I'm asking for a solution to the mystery here. I've heard from several people (including Drew Wagnar) that much content was cancelled or shelved, and I just want to know if I'm wasting time continuing to explore these avenues. I have a family and full-time job, and my time to game is limited - I'd rather not waste it on a mystery that may not exist anymore, yknow? Thanks in advance for any input you can provide!

 

[Beng_Ammon]

If an entire region is locked, then fdev has it locked for content or their own purposes.

Some content has storylines that expand years.
Other story lines have been lost/stopped, when the specific writers on that story left. But can be re-engaged at anytime with new writers.

The last updates on this are most likely to be found in Michael Brookes old responses, or https://canonn.science/

As far as we know, Thargoid storylines are still ongoing (not sure which ones besides the main one), so probably Guardian eventually as well.

While fdev has remained tightlipped, per usual, I am not sure they have anyone or team that watches or moves puzzles forward like they used to.

 

[Kallipar]

How many Thargoid drives does an SCO take? A sensible thought experiment is that we have the Titan drives which could drive a large ship through normal space into the originating Thargoid systems, there are also Thargoid materials that do not yet have a use like phasing. I think the former is the most likely and the phasing a possibility for ship protection for ships at extreme velocities over long periods.

Just a thought or two...