Unknown Permit Required?

[SanguisDiabolus]

So I just started exploring. In fact I just completed my first journey, where else? The crashed alien ship of course.
Anyways, I had the idea of making my way to the Horsehead Nebula, but much to my confusion in the galaxy map, all the systems in that area say "unknown permit required." Some googling reveals this is true for a number of other areas in the game. What gives? Is this just a sign of later content planned for the game in those areas?

 

[Helfar]

Many possible reasons though the most likely are they are place holder systems for the Devs to setup future content, i.e. aliens/anomalys/super power conflicts/materials/etc

 

[Crimson Kaim]

Braben said they will put things into these systems so they lock them. Maybe a new colony or whatnot or may be just another type of new waterworld. Noone knows. Just palceholders so FD have some space to put things in.

 

[akaliel]

Yeah, it's kind of a silly way to do it though. One day they'll say, "a mysterious alien civilization has appeared, and here are the clues to find it." And the first thing we'll do is check to see which systems had their permits lifted and go straight there and ignore the clues.

 

[Sapyx]

There are no specific reasons given, in-game or by FD, for why specific permits exist. Some we can guess at: Polaris was a key waypoint of the Thargoid storyline in the FFE prequel game, so we're guessing that the Polaris permit is Thargoid-related.

Some new permit-locked regions appeared when version 2.1 dropped, around the Barnards Loop - Orion Nebula area. I think your Horsehead sector is one of those newly locked regions. Again, no-one knows exactly why, but it's assumed to be barnacle/UA related. That lockout caused a bit of a stir as some CMDRs were actually in the locked-out area at the time of the update, and had to be manually "rescued" by FD as every single star they could reach from where they were had suddenly become permit-locked.

FD have said, however, that all permit-locked systems and regions are permit-locked for a very good reason.

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Yeah, it's kind of a silly way to do it though. One day they'll say, "a mysterious alien civilization has appeared, and here are the clues to find it." And the first thing we'll do is check to see which systems had their permits lifted and go straight there and ignore the clues.

It's entirely possible that when this happens, the clues will simply point us to an otherwise uncharted outpost not far away from the permit-locked region, where the hitherto "unknown" permits can be obtained.

 

[SanguisDiabolus]

That lockout caused a bit of a stir as some CMDRs were actually in the locked-out area at the time of the update, and had to be manually "rescued" by FD as every single star they could reach from where they were had suddenly become permit-locked.

Lol that's pretty messed up. Yeah, when I saw the Horsehead nebula was locked, I thought I'd try the Orion nebula but that was locked too.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

Updated Permit List

 

[Red Anders]

Lol that's pretty messed up. Yeah, when I saw the Horsehead nebula was locked, I thought I'd try the Orion nebula but that was locked too.

The Horsehead nebula looks evil.

Spoiler

It is irritating that they shut Orion off though, not least because I wanted to go back to here:

Spoiler

I'm sure they'll be re-opened at some point, in the meantime I can recommend both the Flame nebula and the Hind nebula for the first-time nebula tourist, assuming that the Orion and horsehead lock hasn't also locked the Flame - I haven't actually checked recently.

 

[dynamicbob]

Some areas dont have mechanisms to access yet as far as permit acquisition, it could be an elite ranking or some other superpower ranking things that are coming in 2.2 x or beyond that we havent seen or heard about yet

 

[Fendalton]

Frontier never answer this question. They will be placeholders for aliens.

 

[Aussiedroid]

Even if it is for 'future content' it doesn't make a lot of sense why they need to block it all off months in advance. Its not like code updates go to live server immediately, so they can time when they want to introduce this new stuff. Random system blocked here or there doesn't impact the game greatly, but blocking off such large areas, especially beautiful ones like this that people like to visit seems a bit backwards to me.

 

[Fendalton]

Even if it is for 'future content' it doesn't make a lot of sense why they need to block it all off months in advance. Its not like code updates go to live server immediately, so they can time when they want to introduce this new stuff. Random system blocked here or there doesn't impact the game greatly, but blocking off such large areas, especially beautiful ones like this that people like to visit seems a bit backwards to me.

Because either:

A - There is nothing in those systems, they were flagged to not populate
B - They don't want people going into the systems that aren't finished
C - They don't want to run the risk of a player being in there while applying changes on the production server rather than a Dev one, in case they have to wipe those systems.
D - Because star systems content is only generated as someone visits a star for the first time, these stars won't be generated with undesirable content for work later.

 

[SanguisDiabolus]

in the meantime I can recommend both the Flame nebula and the Hind nebula for the first-time nebula tourist, assuming that the Orion and horsehead lock hasn't also locked the Flame - I haven't actually checked recently.

I will check those out.

Edit: I can't make it to the Flame Nebula (I'm exploring in a Cobra you see. Long time xbox player, only started playing PC 2 weeks ago), but I guess I could try to find the materials needed for some FSD boosts. But I can make it to the nearby California Nebula.

 

[Niamhy]

the in-game reason for them is, the Pilots Federation programs into Frameshift Drives which systems you are allowed to go to, and which you are not. Which is why, when you get a permit, it over-rides the program and lets you go there. Now, sometimes, like with Fed/Imp special systems, they do this because the Feds/Imps ask them to. Other times, like with Polaris or Col70... well, no-one knows why except the Pilots Federation. Finding out WHY they have barred us from going to these systems is part of the story, which will become apparent in time.

(outside of game story, they are locked to keep us from moving the story on too quickly. They will be unlocked when FD need us to go there. Which is all very meta-gamey and I don't agree with it at all. This is either a sandbox universe or it's not. but light-at-end-of-tunnel is that, as I said above, FD have made it part of the story, and made in-game reasons for the locks).

and also, some systems are locked but aren't permit-locked. Meaning it's not the Pilots Federation that's stopping you from going there, it's something else

 

[asphaltpilot]

I just wanted to bump this thread and express how frustrating and disappointing it is to try to plot a route to the most beautiful vista closest to the bubble (Barnard's Loop) and finding out there is HUGE section of space right in-between which is permit-locked. Coupled with a problem I have with plot routing two-thirds of the way and I realize that it may be a very long time, possibly never, that I get to make it out and enjoy view. Thanks, Frontier. [sour]

 

[Niamhy]

yeah it's very frustrating, and for no apparent ingame reason. But now we've discovered the Artifacts come from Col70, it wont' be long until we find out how to unlock them. around 6 weeks I recon