Lets get a real discussion going. All these mysterious "permit required" systems.

[Dad Rock]

There are two things that come to my mind whenever locked systems are mentioned in the game: the Missing and Thargoids. I'd only heard about the Missing recently, but I found this concept to be utterly fascinating. I'd like to think that some of those locked systems would be some alternative human colonies that took a totally different technological or social path to what we have in the Bubble; maybe something like "psych", "mechanical", or "bio-tech" colonies. I'm thinking Peter Hamilton-space opera-type, lost human colonies with bitumen-like living cities floating in space. Maybe someone is protecting these permit systems as a way to preserve their cultures, a bit like lost Amazonian tribes that have never come into contact with the rest of civilization.


As for the Thargoids, I've got mixed feelings about them. I'm really hoping for something cataclysmic upon their arrival, truths revealed, further mysteries raised, that sort of thing. It would be a bit of a let-down if it turns out that they were simply "on-hold" in locked systems. I'd much prefer something like they were hiding in plain sight. I think some threads were talking about how the Thargoids might already have infiltrated the different factions and systems - that would be awesome. The ED universe is so amazing, what it really needs now are compelling storylines and a broader narrative that we can all interact further with. That be my humble view on the subject...

 

[Ouberos]

If they only locked off one region, we'd know exactly where to look when it opens.

Locking multiple regions means our efforts will be dispersed when the mystery content does get added.

Nice thought.
I agree that would work with planetary bodies but the permit locked areas of space are quite large and as the Formidine Rift people know anything could be hiding out there.

 

[digitalscream]

There are two things that come to my mind whenever locked systems are mentioned in the game: the Missing and Thargoids. I'd only heard about the Missing recently, but I found this concept to be utterly fascinating. I'd like to think that some of those locked systems would be some alternative human colonies that took a totally different technological or social path to what we have in the Bubble; maybe something like "psych", "mechanical", or "bio-tech" colonies. I'm thinking Peter Hamilton-space opera-type, lost human colonies with bitumen-like living cities floating in space. Maybe someone is protecting these permit systems as a way to preserve their cultures, a bit like lost Amazonian tribes that have never come into contact with the rest of civilization.

From what I gather, The Missing will actually still be *in* the bubble. They all set out in generation ships with sub-light drives so that when FSD technology came about, humanity's reach extended way past any destination they could've hoped to get to. Therefore, they're somewhere within the main bubble, we just haven't found them yet 'cos it's quite big.

In fact, they're likely somewhere close to the centre of the bubble.

 

[Jmanis]

It's happened before - some places weren't even intended to be locked in the first place. One section got locked temporary due it causing anyone jumping in to crash to desktop...

Sorry, I meant examples from this patch, have heard of systems unlocking in previous patches, but not in this patch.

 

[anikaiful]

I found that some 'permit locks' go poof when you relog. A friend had a planet which stated 'you can't land here yaddayadda' (they had a mission to go there, even) - relog magically cleared the lock issue.

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Sorry, I meant examples from this patch, have heard of systems unlocking in previous patches, but not in this patch.

Oh! Okay, I'll PM you a list when I find the Discord post. Requires some scrollback as discord isn't notorious for having any sort of search function....

 

[Malkevin]

The large area of locked systems is for the chinese players because their government doesn't let them play with outsiders.
The smaller area is for N.Koreans, for similar reasons.

 

[novonic]

It's an invasion force hiding on the outskirts. They have computer viruses to force our onboard computers into thinking a permit is required. Soon they will be upon us, and all systems in the bubble will be invaded, and we will have to go on a mission with a rag tag fleet to find Jaques Station and salvation before we can regroup and take out their clone ships.... Oh I think maybe I have been watching too much BSG.

 

[Siranui]

There are two things that come to my mind whenever locked systems are mentioned in the game: the Missing and Thargoids. I'd only heard about the Missing recently, but I found this concept to be utterly fascinating. I'd like to think that some of those locked systems would be some alternative human colonies that took a totally different technological or social path to what we have in the Bubble; maybe something like "psych", "mechanical", or "bio-tech" colonies. I'm thinking Peter Hamilton-space opera-type, lost human colonies with bitumen-like living cities floating in space. Maybe someone is protecting these permit systems as a way to preserve their cultures, a bit like lost Amazonian tribes that have never come into contact with the rest of civilization.


As for the Thargoids, I've got mixed feelings about them. I'm really hoping for something cataclysmic upon their arrival, truths revealed, further mysteries raised, that sort of thing. It would be a bit of a let-down if it turns out that they were simply "on-hold" in locked systems. I'd much prefer something like they were hiding in plain sight. I think some threads were talking about how the Thargoids might already have infiltrated the different factions and systems - that would be awesome. The ED universe is so amazing, what it really needs now are compelling storylines and a broader narrative that we can all interact further with. That be my humble view on the subject...

Anything but Peter Hamilton! He's responsible for the worst sci-fi trilogy I've ever read!

I expect there's (hopefully) multiple alien civilisations out there. Only having Thargoids would be rather a waste.
And I suspect the Thargoids might well be better used as a plot device. We've already kicked their backsides over to the other side of the galaxy in prior games, so they don't hold a huge amount of terror. I'd be inclined to use them as an herald of a greater threat, as the Goths heralded the threat of the Huns. Have them hit us perhaps, but 'on the way through' as it were.

 

[drew]

It makes as little sense as planet permits that magically stop you from getting closer than X km to the surface. So all ships in the galaxy are programmed to obey these permits, no one ever decides to jailbreak the FSD software, and somehow whoever owns the faraway locked systems and regions uses the human permit system to prevent access...

I don't think there can be an in-lore answer. Anything would be even more awkward than saying "because gameplay". Some things are better left out and ignored and can only become worse by providing an explanation, because no explanation could ever make sense.

Who do you think writes the software for the hyperspace and navigation systems on board your ship?

Cheers,

Drew.

 

[anikaiful]

Anything but Peter Hamilton!

Gotta be real bad. Never heard of.

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Who do you think writes the software for the hyperspace and navigation systems on board your ship?

Cheers,

Drew.

A real trucker circumvents any and all restrictions. On that ground I see 'permit locked' flat stupid. In worst case, code my own - and if it still disobeys and doesn't let me go where I want to, rebuild from scratch - it might take a while, but if I do want to go somewhere, I will go there.

 

[CMDR Dan Hulud]

I don't know, but I was around Barnard's Loops just before the update and I had a hard time navigating past all the suddenly locked systems to get back to the bubble. I do think it lends weight to the theory that the barnacle "logo" is Barnard's Loop though.

Problem is that locking all these systems kind of makes further exploration of them...impossible.

Suddenly locked as in after 2.1? I went though BL and a couple of other Nebula out there about a week before 2.1 and didn't see any locked systems, space is large so I could have missed them somehow.

During the 2.1 livestream it was said Exploring might be a bit dangerous now, I wonder if any sort of events will happen to players in systems that are adjacent to the locked systems?

 

[drew]

A real trucker circumvents any and all restrictions. On that ground I see 'permit locked' flat stupid. In worst case, code my own - and if it still disobeys and doesn't let me go where I want to, rebuild from scratch - it might take a while, but if I do want to go somewhere, I will go there.

Re-buy, CMDR? Ah, your ship was modified was it? Your insurance is null and void I'm afraid.

Cheers,

Drew.

 

[Siranui]

Re-buy, CMDR? Ah, your ship was modified was it? Your insurance is null and void I'm afraid.

Cheers,

Drew.

Well in that case, we'll stop paying that invisible income-based percentage of our earnings back that the insurance company takes.

That happens, right? I've always assumed so, because otherwise there's not going to be much profit in the ship insurance business!

 

[anikaiful]

Re-buy, CMDR? Ah, your ship was modified was it? Your insurance is null and void I'm afraid.

Cheers,

Drew.

I have lost only one ship so far, and that was to a bug/glitch - so I'm golden. Well okay, two ships, one to docking computer embedding it in station wall, the next to dakkadakka-railgun rapid fire ... no, three, one DBX I crashlanded (too hard) hard with canopy breach.

 

[Dad Rock]

From what I gather, The Missing will actually still be *in* the bubble. They all set out in generation ships with sub-light drives so that when FSD technology came about, humanity's reach extended way past any destination they could've hoped to get to. Therefore, they're somewhere within the main bubble, we just haven't found them yet 'cos it's quite big.

In fact, they're likely somewhere close to the centre of the bubble.

Good point. We're all jumping from star to star, but there is all that space in between where they could be. Come to think of it, the bubble isn't as well explored as we first thought, a bit like the Earth's oceans.

 

[Malkevin]

There was aliens in the original elite other than the thargoids, they were furries though...

 

[Dad Rock]

Anything but Peter Hamilton! He's responsible for the worst sci-fi trilogy I've ever read!

I expect there's (hopefully) multiple alien civilisations out there. Only having Thargoids would be rather a waste.
And I suspect the Thargoids might well be better used as a plot device. We've already kicked their backsides over to the other side of the galaxy in prior games, so they don't hold a huge amount of terror. I'd be inclined to use them as an herald of a greater threat, as the Goths heralded the threat of the Huns. Have them hit us perhaps, but 'on the way through' as it were.

[smile] Fair enough, maybe Peter Hamilton isn't for everyone! I do like the idea of some nameless terror that strikes fear even into the hearts (thoraxes?) of the Thargoids. Let's face it, it would be pretty dull and pointless if all we had to keep us company in this galaxy were grasshoppers in flying saucers...

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There was aliens in the original elite other than the thargoids, they were furries though...

There's an interesting Reddit about that subject here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDange...avid_braben_other_nonthargoid_species_yes_qa/

 

[anikaiful]

Re-buy, CMDR? Ah, your ship was modified was it? Your insurance is null and void I'm afraid.

Now that you mention, I'll extract the insurance pays from you! Yes! Plan... oh so glorious....

 

[PhanttoM]

It's clearly due to the Thargoids manifesting something in those areas — Obviously, a giant space-horse of doom will come out of the Horsehead nebula to attack us all. [wacky]