The Formidine Rift - Part 2

[lorrad]

Okay, I originally wasn't going to do this but I'm always discussing this forum thread with my viewers and trying to decipher anything that can narrow down the leads or options. You don't have to follow me or even watch, but I livestream this game 18+ hours a day, and the last 3 days have been spent on a full-out Rift hunt.

So, seeing as it makes open communication about ideas, theories and POIs easy and fluid, I'm going to share my stream in a spoiler. Feel free to drop by and chat with us about your theories and ours. I usually post my next POI destination in bold text so it helps narrow down "double checking" if someone else is headed to the same system, and I keep a Captain's Log of all of my jumps and scans as well.

So, if you're interested in discussing this over stream, you can find me below:

Spoiler

www.twitch.tv/theycallmegunny

If you think I'm just advertising, then ignore the spoiler.

*Also, I like the idea of selling cartographics to the same station for easier audits, but I couldn't think of a system to suggest. I'd only advise it not be a rank locked one to make it as open as possible.

Sothis.

Sothis is the obvious choice. It's the closest system on the way back, is far enough from the bubble there's a low risk of npc interdiction. However it's been in the news recently for exploration upgrades and could attract hostiles, hostiles attracted to easily ganked explorers, especially those in a certain published hit list.

Finally read Reclaimation and have to agree now about random cats. I think even naming the Clipper "Seven Veils", is actually an in joke between Salome and Hassan. Not that that means it isn't also a clue, as a clue it could also be part of the joke between the characters.

Dust hasn't settled on what I think about it all, but does anyone else feel that the crazy old lady might be Luko's pretty princess and his cobra is the ship they flew across the rift before whatever happened to make her so sad? Or when Salome and Hassan finally get there they'll be greeted by Luko with a "what took you so long" ?

 

[crushdepth]

Sothis.

Sothis is the obvious choice. It's the closest system on the way back, is far enough from the bubble there's a low risk of npc interdiction. However it's been in the news recently for exploration upgrades and could attract hostiles, hostiles attracted to easily ganked explorers, especially those in a certain published hit list.

Finally read Reclaimation and have to agree now about random cats. I think even naming the Clipper "Seven Veils", is actually an in joke between Salome and Hassan. Not that that means it isn't also a clue, as a clue it could also be part of the joke between the characters.

Dust hasn't settled on what I think about it all, but does anyone else feel that the crazy old lady might be Luko's pretty princess and his cobra is the ship they flew across the rift before whatever happened to make her so sad? Or when Salome and Hassan finally get there they'll be greeted by Luko with a "what took you so long" ?

That's an interesting idea about the ship being the same.

 

[Pazmino]

Pray tell !! I'm actually finding a lot of stuff lining up around Ovid's Metamorphoses. In Ovid's Metamorphoses, there are three people named Cygnus, all of whom are transformed into swans. Cygnus is also one of the constellations that lines up with the 'rift' in the northern sky at the time of the vernal equinox. Exactly what this means I'm not sure... but it seems to be pointing to something. Maybe it simply confirms the location..

Well, X marks the spot, or? Have been there and scanned a lot of planets - nada.

^^ btw, HD 188753 reads interesting.

Okay, let's play the game "do we suffer from the same case of space madness" XD

here are three clues that I think are significant :

• greek mythos is key. the visit to the outer gas giant is a clue.
• the visit in Cambridge was "most enlightening".
• at ancient greek times, berber were knows as white aethiopians.

Somewhat agree, taking into account that

• Planet names in Prism system refer to Greek characters
• Drew states the names in Prism are a homage to the series Ulysses 31 (but I don't think we should follow the Odyssey; that would be lame)
• The outer gas planet in sol is Neptune - but is a roman god. The Greek god would be Poseidon. No idea of this leads somewhere.

The thing with the Greek mythology is, that they all are relatives in one way or another. So at one point all kind of links could be made.
.
RL called - going to the boonies for a few days, good luck CMDRs.
.
ps : Maybe we should try astronomy for a change [wacky]

Spoiler

 

[Pazmino]

All, thx for accepting my invites in game!
o7

 

[Qohen Leth]

Tought about adding this expedition on EDSM?

 

[Pazmino]

Of course - Maybe we should try astrology for a change [wacky]

Spoiler

https://joefollansbee.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/crystal_ball.jpg?w=676&h=510

couldn't edit my post

 

[hiasakite]

Before i head out again,

Im going first to become allied to the Pilote federation & The Dark Wheel.

does somebody know
Wolf Reach a planet base of the Dark wheel in Shinrarta Dezhra, can you only land there when you are allied of is it just locked to get docking permissions?

So long as you can get to Founders world system, you can land at Dark Wheel settlements. Note the Wolf Reach doesn't have landing pads, however the other planet bases in the founders world system with pads will give you Dark Wheel missions. (Dont recall their names off top of head, but think there are 3 with pads)

I did exactly that (ally with Dark Wheel) before heading out.. however not made any difference so far.

Anyway, crossed the bridge and have got to the far side of the rift now, and starting explore- heading towards RR line,

 

[Jorki Rasalas]

Set out to do some Rift investigation yesterday afternoon...after 29 jumps my X55 throttle started to play up; suspect it's the known internal wiring problem. Had landed on a planet to do some jumponium searching; utterly useless planet for that, & then took me an hour to reboard my ship! Think today is going to be taken up in learning to fly with a controller, &/or getting out the soldering iron.
The Greater Gods are against me! [sad]

 

[woodhouse]

After looking at the clues for a week or so, I found a strong lead. (all the clues fit in, plus two more that I did not notice before).
Since it can be a very strong case of space madness, I'll wait a bit before saying more.

It's a bit later now, are you ready to share?
Nobody will blame you for the space madness.

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You need to scan stuff, not just jump 'n' honk...
From Pioneer to Elite it is about 1 million Cr worth of data sold per 1%

I remember reading, and establishing for myself, that scanning and honking gives you the highest CR per hour (assuming all you want is to rank up as quickly as possible) and only a few cases like neutron stars and ELW not too far away from the main star are worth scanning.

 

[RollinStoner]

2. If we can agree to a "base of operations" where we all sell our exploration data then other Commanders can purchase that data at that base. Could help reduce reduction in effort and also allow Commanders who aren't actively in the Rift audit the system data and see if something might have been missed.

It was my understanding that system data could only be purchased for systems up to 20ly from the system you are currently in?

 

[Zieman]

I remember reading, and establishing for myself, that scanning and honking gives you the highest CR per hour (assuming all you want is to rank up as quickly as possible) and only a few cases like neutron stars and ELW not too far away from the main star are worth scanning.

Really? Sad if true. Takes exploring out of exploring, grinding the rank this way.
I thought jumpn 'n' honk-ing to a Neutron field & then Neutron farming is the fastest way. Not my choice either.

Oh well, each to their own.

 

[Muetdhiver]

Somewhat agree, taking into account that

• Planet names in Prism system refer to Greek characters
• Drew states the names in Prism are a homage to the series Ulysses 31 (but I don't think we should follow the Odyssey; that would be lame)
• The outer gas planet in sol is Neptune - but is a roman god. The Greek god would be Poseidon. No idea of this leads somewhere.

The thing with the Greek mythology is, that they all are relatives in one way or another. So at one point all kind of links could be made.

RL called - going to the boonies for a few days, good luck CMDRs.
ps : Maybe we should try astronomy for a change [wacky]

Where does Poseidon leads us ? Well, when one also consider that neptune has a moon called nereid,
the connection to cassiopiea is obvious isn't it ?

Poseidon was offended because Cassiopeia dared say that her daughter Andromeda was the most beautifull, and not poseidon's nereids.
That led of course to Andromeda being saved just in time by Perseus arm from the dread cetus monster sent by Poseidon.

When one considers that the RR line point to the Cassiopeia constellation and Kahina being a berber queen = white aethiopian queen,
I think it's quite clear that Cassiopeia is the best candidate to fit the bill so far.
Problem is : Cassiopeia as a constellation is bloody huge. So the other clues might help us narrow down the search. This is where cambridge, doing
some astronomy and the seven veils proved usefull.

Finally I think there is a few things we might need to think about :

• "Edge of the Galactic Arm. Take a line from Reorte to Riedquat to the edge of the arm and ... keep going." => keep going where, along RR line or along the (perseus) arm's edge ?
• formidine rift => this makes me think of the great rift, which is caused by the dark coalsack nebula obscuring the milky way. My guess : we are looking for a dark cloud.
• "the dark systems haven't been mapped, so take your time, watch your six" => we are looking for dark systems, that are not mapped (as in not in the map). Watch your six : look back/behind.
• we need patience and wanderlust : i.e. need to get out there and be patient to find it. IMO that means that this puzzle cannot be solved just via the gal map, you got look at the sky.
• If the rift is a named object (star or nebula) present on the galmap, explorers would have found it without seraching for it as named stars and nebulas are explorers honeypots.
• Part of the clues should help narrow down the search, but not pinpoint (wanderlust required).

So, what I think we are looking for is a dark cloud region like the coal sack, but one that is not shown on the gal map, along the edge of the perseus arm or RR line.
The systems inside it might be on the map, but that does not help us. To find such region, you would have to look back to the core, as the only way to see it is against the background of the milky way.

 

[Han_Zen]

I like your tinfoiling, Muet!

Now, coordinates:

I have this Idea that 'GL, and ... RO, C. Stands for: Galctic Longitude and Radius of Circle.

This is a function. GL is the same as RoC. If GL is 126.13deg then RoC 12613 ly.

This function will intersect with the RR line at one point.

No time to calculate at the moment.

 

[Legacy_LuckyLuke]

Agree with most of this - but there is still a nagging thought in my head - why Cassiopeia??

Despite being some kind of cosmic way finder that many of the clues and information point towards - is that all it means? That what we are looking for is simply in the vicinity of Cassiopeia (as seen from Sol), so therefore it makes sense to use it as a clue? But it makes me ask, from a story point of view, why was Kahina named Kahina? Is it meant to be some cosmic chance? Why is the Prism system named after Greek gods in the family of Odysseus? Why why why...

Or maybe it will all become clear once we approach the magnificent 'it' that we seek

Certainly there seems to be a mountain of evidence pointing us towards that direction.

In other news, I've now completed my tour of the 9 major and minor stars in Cassiopeia and haven't uncovered anything particularly of interest so far. I was almost hoping got a 'right on commander' when I finished scanning the last one

Though I haven't made it to the 10th system yet... RHO Cassiopeia, but I understand it's near impossible
to reach.

 

[Muetdhiver]

While Rho cassiopeia (RO, C) is not my prime target, I might go at it since I have the range for it.

The why cassiopeia question : I think it's a matter of using the links between greek mythos and constellations to build a nice mystery.
Though cassiopeia provides one other interesting thing.

 

[Qohen Leth]

Made up a quick map we could use -- I actually thought of painting the unscoopable areas or something. Maybe I read it somewhere, but Formidine > fear, dread > badlands, etc. Well, anyway

EDIT : with my current location

 

[KG_Jedi]

Wait. If in Drew's book it's said that there are "dark systems, not mapped", it means they aren't shown on galaxy map.

So... Should we fly along R-R line, while looking at SKYBOX and checking for anything, that can be seen on skybox, but not on galaxy map?

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Also, i finished surveying yesterday Leut's brown dwarf cluster. Mainly by scanning main star, checking system map and going to next system.

Nothing unusual found, some systems had landable/unladnable planets, some had gas giants, but nothing unusual.

 

[SpocksOddSocks]

Wait. If in Drew's book it's said that there are "dark systems, not mapped", it means they aren't shown on galaxy map.

So... Should we fly along R-R line, while looking at SKYBOX and checking for anything, that can be seen on skybox, but not on galaxy map?

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Also, i finished surveying yesterday Leut's brown dwarf cluster. Mainly by scanning main star, checking system map and going to next system.

Nothing unusual found, some systems had landable/unladnable planets, some had gas giants, but nothing unusual.

As far as we are aware, dark systems have not been implemented in game. The concept was around though at the time Drew wrote Reclamation. I think he mentions this on his site.

 

[Becks]

Wait. If in Drew's book it's said that there are "dark systems, not mapped", it means they aren't shown on galaxy map.

So... Should we fly along R-R line, while looking at SKYBOX and checking for anything, that can be seen on skybox, but not on galaxy map?

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

Also, i finished surveying yesterday Leut's brown dwarf cluster. Mainly by scanning main star, checking system map and going to next system.

Nothing unusual found, some systems had landable/unladnable planets, some had gas giants, but nothing unusual.

I seriously couldn't tell if a system shows up in GalMap or not

 

[Dommarraa]

Wait. If in Drew's book it's said that there are "dark systems, not mapped", it means they aren't shown on galaxy map.

So... Should we fly along R-R line, while looking at SKYBOX and checking for anything, that can be seen on skybox, but not on galaxy map?

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

Also, i finished surveying yesterday Leut's brown dwarf cluster. Mainly by scanning main star, checking system map and going to next system.

Nothing unusual found, some systems had landable/unladnable planets, some had gas giants, but nothing unusual.

How can you say that there was nothing unusual when you didn't scan anything? What are you looking for?