Finally managed a successful run, in my new secret weapon. The Courier was very good for the BBQ bonus, not so good for finishing in one piece. My new Dolphin is terrible for the BBQ bonus, but it made it round the course! And it's painted red to make it go faster, just what I need after poking Thargoids.
Last place in Unlimited is secure, tomorrow I try for Regulation...
In Regulation Cobra Class, CMDR Sulu (@Fish172 ) finally achieved his aim of getting runs in each of the four modes by adding a perfect 10/10 shenanigans run in Piece of 8 as an insurance for his earlier run, sat precariously in the third place "no-shenanigan zone" spot. An adjusted time of 10:03 looks well placed for scoring good points, even if his earlier run is knocked off the podium. This run included a spectacular close encounter with a Xeno Buckyball fan above the rings of one of Pleone's gas giants.
A little further back on board CMDR @FearlessF21 took Ninky-Nock around the course a mere second faster than his earlier run, but a much higher shenanigan bonus meant an improvement of 13 minutes to the adjusted time, and that despite forgetting to switch FA off and missing out on the Zen Archer bonus.
One place behind FearlessF21 CMDR @Draig Seren took Magic 8 on a first lap of the 7 Sisters course in a very respectable time of 55:35, boosted to 46:16 by shenanigans.
In Open Unlimited Class veteran Buckyball racer @Darplata94 had no time for any shenanigans as he swept straight into the lead with a great time of 28:38 in his DBX Rolled Gold. That's enough to push another BRC regular @Edelgard von Rhein off the podium and into the shenanigan zone, dropping all the way down to 7th place.
This also means that CMDR Sulu is now sat in the risky third spot in both classes, although again he has a handily placed shenanigan run as insurance.
Today's other new run CMDR Martinjamerson (@Arrowroot 66) switched from iCourier to Dolphin as cruised around the course in style, the slowest Unlimited Class run so far, but with a big shenanigan bonus finishing with a very good adjusted time of 21:35.
Speaking of adjusted times, CMDR @Shaye Blackwood looks safe in fourth place at the top of the shenanigan-zone thanks to yesterday's spectacular 10/10 run, his incredible adjusted time of -29:01 might be unassailable.
However, we have heard that CDMR @Bruski is out on the course now and space bears are well known for their love of both shenanigans and podiums - I think Little Nuk knew that when he told me to split the leaderboard this way.
I managed to get a couple of runs in today, well one and a half anyway. Had an issue with the rings at Squirrel's Nest and then as I was approaching I thought I saw two tunnels, one that should lead to the second, then I could go up to the tower one last. As I exited the first tunnel I suddenly realised the wall approaching my face didn't have a tunnel in it
I bounced off it, then flew around in a few circles looking for the elusive tunnel but couldn't see one, so I only got two. Then I couldn't repair at Obsidian Orbital until I'd paid off a reckless flying fine from my previous submitted run and those pesky tourists.
Still I managed to get around and so I've submitted a shenanigans run. Only one though because on my second run that was going a bit better, I was interdicted by some muppet. They didn't answer me when I told them I was racing, and then just sat there in their cutter restricting my FSD charging up quickly. I knew the run was shot at that point as it had already added a couple of minutes to my time, but I dropped into the NHSS I was planning on visiting and it was full of scouts, who I couldn't get within 100m of because they were too agile, and then a Basilisk turned up and shutdown my ship...
Apologies, had a few real life shenanigans today, so not as much time as I'd like to think about todays summary.
Regulation Cobra Class saw Buckyball regular CMDR @Bruski go straight for the podium with an excellent shenanigan free run in Flaming Onionhead Express - a ship the Lonnigan Brothers already know well from their past events. The title of CMDR Bruski's summited evidence, suggests that he was less than impressed by this run, so CMDR Elastul Ma'fer's (@Ozric) lead might be under threat - although it's looking safe for now.
Talking of Elastul Ma'fer, the Regulation Class leader put in an insurance run with plenty of shenanigans (some planned, some not) for a great adjusted time of +13:09.
Bruski's entry was enough to push CMDR Sulu (@Fish172) off the Podium, but his own insurance run is enough to keep him in 5th place for now.
Further down the table an improved run by CMDR @Draig Seren unfortunately still sees him slip into the #1PointClub thanks to a new entry by CMDR @RockyStar with a big shenanigan bonus helping to overcome multiple hyperdictions by overeager Xeno Buckyball fans, who of whom inisisted on posing for selfies while Rockystar was trying to jump away. The eventful run was almost ended by Nuk's CDG, but thankfully 8% hull is more than enough for a Buckyball Landing.
@Bruski also made a shenanigan free appearance in Open Unlimited class, but this time his run in his famous DBX RazorBear was only good enough for third place, due to to another no-shenanigans run, this time by CMDR @Shaye Blackwood in Fireball. I wasn't expecting to see an iCourier in the lead this far into the race, so I'm curious to see how long it lasts.
These entries once again saw Sulu pushed off the podium, but this time an Improved shenanigan run (this time switching back to his iCourier Anabasii Celeste) sees him hang on in 4th place - leapfroging CDMR @jspace, who drops from 2nd to 6th place. All those failied Coup de Grace attempts earlier are paying off now for Sulu, as his latest attempt is graded Spectacular! on the Lonnigan Scale of Hotness, bettered only by Shay so far, whose earlier CDG is rated Glorious!!
The Scale of Hotness, receives a slight overhaul since it's last appearance at Fat Tony's Festival of Racing.
CMDR @Edelgard von Rhein also made an improved run with no shenanigans, but with some familiar faces sitting in the podium spots, sub-30 minute times are now needed. Otherwise big shenanigan scores are now needed to climb the board.
Just submitted an improved Dolphin run (finally broke 1 hour to get round the course) and the best of several reg Cobra runs. The Thargoids are getting wise to me now: they either disappear before I get there, or they won't turn around and let me kick 'em up the bum.
My first attempt at the Zen Archer was an utter embarrassment, but I have a cunning plan for improvement. Can't wait to try it tomorrow. Dunno about the Coup de Grace though, every practice go so far has resulted in bits all over the back wall...
Really sorry for doing this mid-race, but I've just modified the rules to include this line in both classes:
Rebuys, Wing Nav Locks, Fleet Carrier Jumps or anything else that allows you to skip ahead without flying part of the course are all BANNED
This began due to an entirely sensible question about crashing at Obsidian Orbital - where repairs are allowed anyway - but quickly moved onto possible exploitation of Wing Nav lock game "mechanics" due to them being recommended elsewhere as useful for Buckyball. The wing lock issues are not a new thing and were a personal bugbear for ElectricZ (the founder of Buckyball racing) and have always been banned in Buckyball races unless specifically allowed - even if we've never actually remembered to write it down anywhere in the last few years.
The fundamental skills of Buckyball are clever navigation (interstellar and in-system), fast jumps/refuels, good supercruise techniques and fast docking. Dodgy, poorly implemented game mechanics that entirely bypass those things (e.g. the terribly implemented SC-Assist and wing-nav-lock), or just quality of life modules that take the skill out (e.g. docking computers), aren't the kind of things that are in the spirit of Buckyball.
"The fundamental skills of Buckyball are clever navigation (interstellar and in-system), fast jumps/refuels, good supercruise techniques and fast docking." Now I understand what I'm doing wrong...
"The fundamental skills of Buckyball are clever navigation (interstellar and in-system), fast jumps/refuels, good supercruise techniques and fast docking." Now I understand what I'm doing wrong...
Got up this morning early, with just enough time (I thought) to do a no shenanigans regulation run and properly upload it. Frustratingly, those Confounding Chrysanthemums, to borrow Commander @Homborger's turn of phrase, decided to interfere... twice! I also messed up my approach to Ohm Horizon, got clobbered by Glorious Prosepct's agri-rings, and missed several docking slots.
Sadly, I didn't have time this morning to properly upload the video, so there are very few bookmarks available at the moment. I'll do them once I get home from work while I'm preparing supper, and formally submit my run then. I’ll be reviewing my video during my lunch break. You can watch me fail to cover myself in glory below.
And I finally managed to submit my morning run! Bookmarks have been added to the video above, and I had blocked out the fact that I completely misjudged the exclusion zone around Maia A 2 when performing my braking maneuver. Oops. My various pit teams have really had their cut out for them, between the internal heat damage and the huge dents in the hull. But that's what unpaid college interns are for.
Plenty of room for improvement... assuming I can sneak in some runs. Current gas prices are really helping me resist the temptation to sacrifice bicycling to and from work to open up time in the evening, but there's a storm predicted on Saturday, and my "Weekend" is relatively open for a change...
WAIT! That wasn't a challenge, fate!! Or an invitation!!!
It was a very busy day in regulation class today, starting with not one, but two improved runs by CMDR Sulu (@Fish172), the first a shenanigan run, that was very close to being the first negative adjusted time in the Cobras, the second a no-shenanigans run that puts Sulu back on the podium in third place, with an excellent 47:37 finish - at the expense of CMDR @Epaphus, who drops straight into the #1pointclub, ouch!
CMDR Sulu appears to have mastered Nuk's Coup de Grace now, his shenanigan run was completed with a perfect 10/10 bonuses and 100% hull!
In fourth place @CMDR Sir Boundness also made an improved shenanigan run, nearly as fast as Sulu's despite needing two attempts at the Coup de Grace.
Further back, runs by regular Buckyball racers CMDR Inga Stevenson (@Darkfyre99) and CMDR @Edelgard von Rhein are currently in 11th and 12th place - although Edelgard's run of 48:53 would have been good enough for joint 3rd place if not for Sulu's improved run.
In open unlimited class, just a single entry today, an improved shenanigan run by CMDR Martinjameson (@Arrowroot 66) that doesn't change his position.
I must say I am having a ball with this race. It is alarming how many places you can drop in one go as well. Great fun @Raiko. I thought it would be tough, and it is. Anyone who completes a round should be pleased with themselves.
