WINNER (UNLIMITED CLASS): CMDR Mutant, Caesium-137
WINNER (SIDEWINDER CLASS): CMDR Henry Dorsett, FLITTER 3
POS indicates current position based on submitted race time. UNK No submitted time. DNF Did Not Finish. DQ Disqualified.
All classes other than Sidewinder are in direct competition. The Sidewinder Class will have its own winner. Solo Racers also compete separately. Hey diddle diddle the cat and the fiddle. Does anyone actually read the fine print?
Times updated daily, or when I feel like it.
The "Buckyball" Braben Star-to-Shining-Star Memorial Trophy Dash, widely known simply as The Buckyball Run, was an unofficial, unsanctioned spaceship race run from Xiaoguan Hub in Magec to the Vonarburg Co-Operative in the Wyrd system, intended both as a celebration of the Federation Interstellar Star Route System and a protest against strict traffic laws coming into effect at the time.
As it was found out, the newly imposed 9.8c relativistic limit imposed by the Federation Maximum Velocity Law (imposed as an energy conservation measure) was actually slower than the quickest average velocities of point-to-point travels of Commander Ian Buchanan "Buckyball" Braben (no relation) in the first half of the 32nd century. In 3102, Braben flew the route in a Cowell-MgRath model 57 Sidewinder, averaging greater than 12.5c, setting a 32 minute record that stood for nearly 140 years.
Another motivation was the fun involved...
So what is it?
The Buckyball Run is a series of point-to-point rally races within the navigable "bubble" of space in the Elite Dangerous beta, chosen so that anybody with a base Sidewinder can measure their best time from start to finish. Commanders with more advanced vessels can make the runs as well, though to be fair times should only be compared with other ships of the same class. Even then, it might not be class, speed or range that ultimately determines the best time.
Sounds interesting. What do I have to do?
The Buckyball Run 3 is a checkpoint race where pilots start docked at WCM Transfer Orbital at LHS-3006, then race to seven designated checkpoints and finish docked at Romanek's Folly at Morgor, as quickly as possible. The pilot is free to choose whichever route seems fastest, as long as the ship starts at LHS-3006, hits all of the checkpoints, and finishes docked at Romanek's Folly. Screenshots or video will corroborate times. Pilots providing links to a recording of their runs are not required to provide screenshots, though there is one additional verification requirement. (See below.)
Unlike the previous race, checkpoints in Buckyball Run 3 do not require docking. Pilots only have to jump to the system to count. The only time docking is required is at the start, the finish, and for refueling.
In order to verify checkpoints are hit, pilots will open the galactic map showing the clock and their location and take a screenshot, To maintain time equity, all pilots must open the GalMap at each checkpoint, even if they are recording the race, though recorded runs still do not have to provide separate screenshots. Each checkpoint reached without opening the map will incur a 5-second penalty for recorded runs, and disqualify the pilot if using screenshots.
If you are refueling at a station in a checkpoint system, a screenshot or video recording of the docking counts as checkpoint verification. You were obviously in the checkpoint system.
Basically, you have to pop open the map every time you jump, and screenshot it if you are not recording video. C'mon, don't look at me like that. It's better than docking, isn't it?
To summarize:
START: WCF Transfer Orbital (LHS-3006)
CHECKPOINTS: (In any order)
- Asellus Primus
- Aulin
- BD+47 2112
- Dahan
- Eranin
- I Bootis
- Styx
The deadline to submit times is 23:59, September 7, 3300 game time. You make as many attempts as you like.
Plan for 20-30 minutes to complete. To break it down, follow this simple flight plan and checklist:
- Post your intent to race in this thread. List the following:
- Your commander's name (if different than your user name)
- Ship Name
- Ship Class
- Solo or multiplayer.
- Your answer for the Official Buckyball Question of the Race: "What is your theme song?"
- Make sure your ship is in tip-top shape at WCF Transfer Orbital and repair any hull damage. Remove any excess mass. (Especially important for Sidewinders to complete the race.)
- Plan your route. Open the galactic map, lay out a step-by-step path, make sure you know where you're going.
- Open the commodities market and hit F10 to take a screenshot or start your video capture, showing your location and credit balance. (This is a good spot to alt-tab to desktop, check your folder, and make sure screenshots are saving. Plus you need it in order to qualify your run. Opening the market verifies your location, your credit balance, and cargo status in one handy screen.)
- Make sure you are on the surface and prepeare for launch. Hit F10 to take screenshot of your cockpit view, showing your location and time. If you plan to crop your screenshots, include the center panel showing location and time, and the right center panel showing your ship.
- Launch and get going, champ! The clock is ticking!
- Jump to each checkpoint and open the Galactic Map. If you are not recording, take a screenshot each time you emerge from hyperspace. If you are recording, you still have to open the map to maintain parity.
- After all checkpoints are cleared (and screenshotted) navigate to and dock at Romanek's Folly at Morgor. Screenshot immediately upon touchdown as per step 5.
- Open the commodities market and hit F10 to screenshot, showing your location, credit balance and cargo status.
- PM me your route as well as links to your screenshots. (Do NOT post them.) Submissions for race times will be accepted until 23:59, September 7, 3300 game time.
- While awaiting the results, enjoy a cold one, and share tales of your exploits for your fellow Buckyballers to enjoy or ridicule as they see fit.
Sounds do-able. What are the rules? What's with the Galactic Map this time?
Screenshots (or video) of the Galactic Map will verify the pilot's course and time. Even though video recordings are solid proof a pilot reached each checkpoint, they still have to open up the map. Unfortunately opening the map takes 3-4 seconds and slows a ship to a halt, and this time difference has to be factored in by pilots recording their run out of fairness to people without recording capability. I know it's lame, but until they build a clock into the dash, recording into the game, or enable the Pilot's Log, we gotta do it.
The difference in times from the first screenshot at WCF Transfer Orbital and your cockpit screenshot at Romanek's Folly will be the official time of your run. For video, it's the time you launch at WCF until the time the clock appears upon touchdown at Romanek. The pilot with the shortest race time will be declared the winner of the particular race class:
- Sidewinder Class (Sidewinders only)
- Unlimited Class (Any ship class)
- Solo Class
Because solo mode eliminates lag and congestion around star ports, solo pilots have a time advantage over people playing online. You can race solo if you like but your time will be compared only with other solo racers. Please note if you are racing solo or multiplayer when posting your times.
The credit balance will be to evaluate if the pilot utilized the emergency beacon for an in-flight refueling session. For each expenditure equaling the cost of an inflight refueling (class dependent) or costs to repair the hull, the pilot will incur a ten-minute penalty. This is to discourage the use of in-flight refueling using the distress beacon or hazardous flying resulting in major hull repairs. So drive carefully, and don't run out of gas. Pilots of your caliber shouldn't have a problem with either.
Send links to screenshots or video and route information to me via private message. Pilots need to provide all screenshots of the start and finish as well as each checkpoint for verification, and provide a route list including refueling stops and anything interesting that happened on the way. I know it's a pain in the ass to upload all of them, but my lawyers say it has to be done. As usual, video submissions do not require screenshots.
When the race period is over, I will post the collected times and a summary of the race. Then, sit back and enjoy the glory and admiration showered upon you by your fellow pilots.
Gracious! Is that everything?
No, there's more. (sorry.)
- Run the race using only one ship. If you are destroyed or otherwise incapacitated, do not finish the race in a respawned Sidey or other replacement. Start over.
- Refuel only at stations. Emergency beacons are a no-no. If you push too far and have to call for a tanker, re-start your run, or incur a ten-minute penalty.
- Make as many runs as you like. Your best time will be recorded at the end of the race. Racing multiple times in different classes is A-OK, and times for each will be recorded separately.
All that and you want a race summary too? What's that look like?
Something like this:
Subject: Buckyball Run 3 result
Commander Name: ElectricZ
Ship's Name: Miss Adventure IV
Ship Class: Sidewinder
Armaments/Loadout: Stripped
Route: LHS-3006 (Start), Checkpoint 1, Checkpoint 2, Checkpoint 3 (Docked at XYZ for refuel), Checkpoint 4, Checkpoint 5, Checkpoint 6 (Docked at ABC for refuel), Checkpoint 7, Checkpoint 8, Morgor (Docked at Romanek's Folly for finish)
These are the important rules. More FAQ-like stuff in next post...
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