Lore Question: Whatever happened to the Galactic Hyperdrive? (From the original Elite)

[Bruce Warren]

First off, I need to say that I'm not advocating its return. One galaxy is plenty big enough for me. But I am curious.

Way back when, when GalCop was still a power they had a device that could let you perform a one off jump to another (small) galaxy. Replace the drive and jump again, and eventually you could get back where you started.

Ever since FE2 neither hide not hair of this device has been seen again so I was wondering

Were there nasty side effects from this device that made it unpopular? Did you turn into a Salamander or something? Did it attract Thargoids?
Was it something only GalCop knew how to make?
Was there some other reason (other than game mechanics) as to why the device has fallen out of use?

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Jackie Silver]

I think it's an element of the old situation that can't really be rationalised with the modern setting.

Unless perhaps - given the tiny size of the Elite "galaxies" - we think of it as a jump drive with a few hundred light years range taking the ship between different populated areas on the current map.

 

[Goose4291]

The Elite RPG game's timeline tries to explain it away, but it hasn't been confirmed as canon by the Dev team yet.

3164 - During this year, the stable wormhole connecting Galaxy 1 to Galaxy 2 and thence to the rest of the seven Galaxies collapses. It is thought highly likely that the collapsing was engineered. Galaxy 1 stands alone. GalCop is reduced from over 2040 worlds to less than 200. GalCop is a shadow of its former self and no longer a threat to either Federation or Empire. The Exile remains in force.
3165 - It is discovered that the alien races once indigenous to the Far Colonies region of space have gone. Those worlds that had human colony areas become human worlds as the colonies spread out. Those that did not now stand abandoned. It is surmised that they departed for Galaxy 2, somehow managing to find a method of travelling there. Humanity stands alone once more.

http://daftworks.co.uk/elite/index.php/Galactic_Timeline

 

[xDreadnoughtx]

In the offices of FD there is a sealed cabinet with a glass window. Hanging from the side of it is a small hammer, attached by a chrome chain.

In a precise white font, there is a notice engraved on a small black acrylic rectangle.

"In case of shock expansion needs, break glass"

Inside the cabinet a hazy and amorphous, but clearly metallic structure, seems to exist in at least 9 dimensions.

 

[Vasious]

One of the other Collated time lines has the discovery the 8 Galaxys were just subsections of the Galaxy

But rather than trying to square peg into round hole the conflicting lore

I say the original Elite was a Simulation used by the Pilots federation to Train Pilots.
Explains the Abundant aliens due to a fiction setting, but only the Thargoids are the hostile race - a way of telling the secret without telling it.
It is also "utopia" as there is no Alliance, or Federation or Empire in a cold war, but a Galcop that with complete neutrality, runs all the stations but avoids petty politics.
But there are pirates to Combat train Pilots against.

 

[knowles2]

Hyperspace drives were found to be destroying subspace and even more worrying attracting attention from those beyond the Formidine rift and so as soon as their was a replacement engine small ships and medium ships were ban from using them. Still allow on large battle ships but not for intergalactic travel. Travel to outside the galaxy is ban.

 

[Don Alvarez]

They were banned due to ever tightening emissions standards. Cant go polluting up deep space with... molecules... and stuff...