I think…frustration…is the key word for this race. Not because it was a frustrating course, or because my flying was particularly rubbish this week, or even because unfortunate things happened during any of my runs (which is a Buckyballing given for any race) but because RL decided it was going to take away from my gaming time. I was actually lucky to get in the runs that I did and that I spent a large part of the previous week scouting, calculating and practicing.
And it was such a pity. Because if you hadn’t taken part in this race you may well have missed the race of the season.
I think it’s safe to say the vast majority of Buckballers, both new and old, were looking forward to this race immensly. And, I think it’s also safe to say that even though expecatations were high, we were all blown away by the sheer thrill of racing through this course. Even without the 2 bonus tricks it’s a toally engrossing, fast, and variable fly.
Now, the main reason I’m using Leeya Geddy to do the Buckyballing this season and not Cmdr Homborger is because she has every single ship in the game (not the Cobra Mk IV) at her disposal. Many of them highly engineered. This makes it possible to have a huge choice when selecting the most appropriate ship for the unlimited runs. But, before I wanted to worry about getting an unlimited time down, I needed to get a regualtion time. So, it was time for My Favorite Headache to shine once more.
The genius of this course is that there are six different structures to fly though spread out over five systems. And the whole course can easily be done in a regulation Cobra, even flying conservatively, within 30 minutes. Some of the ace Buckyballers were even almost halfing that time! It’s the mark of a great course. Plenty to do with a minimum of jumps and supercruise time. Sgurr has managed to get the balance of this race spot on.
Now we come to the two bonus maneuvers.
There was the Turner Tactical Bonus (named after Buckyballer and Emergent Gameplay Discoverer Extrordinaire Cmdr Alec Turner) where, when hurtling toward just one of these tunnels, or gaps, we could turn off flight assist and flip around the opposite way to fly through the obstacle backwards. This was worth a twenty second bonus. Not bad! But then we were also given, should we choose to do it, a ninety second time bonus if we did a coriolis trench run at the start/finish line – Gaensler Station. Now, in the minds of most pilots, a coriolis trench run is something only an elite pilot can manage, and that it can only be done without flight assist. It wasn’t something I would even consider being able to do. Yet there it was, with that very juicey ninety second carrot dangling in front of my nose. Sgurr also helpfully provided this essential video tutorial on how it can be done.
And what’s more, he showed us how to do it with flight assist on.
I thought to myself, bugger it! I’m going to have a go.
I had a really hard time using the Cobra, prompting rebuy after rebuy after rebuy. So I swapped out for the Rushfleet’s Sidewinder (the Finding My Way – now fully engineered) and decided to try it in that.
It’s really daunting as you carefully enter the superstructure. Those corners swing round frighteningly fast, and every girder hums and groans, the stress of the metal creaking menacingly as it sails by your canopy. There is a small opening at each corner, and that’s our ticket into the superstructure, then all you have to do is navigate your way along one straight side of the superstructure and out through the opening at the next corner, while the whole thing is spinning. Sounds utterly daunting. As soon as you approach that opening, your heart sinks to your feet. But you have to go for it!
I had decided to practice with the station spinning towards me, as I thought that would be quicker than travelling along with the station spinning away (as shown in Sgurr’s tutorial). It’s a lot more difficult and the rotation kept tossing me out. The Finding My Way is rather tough and fast. I’ve engineered her that way. So there were never any rebuys and, after a handful of attempts, I succeded! I mean, the exit was a bit messy but I managed to get through! I was exhilerated! It was so much fun that I tried again and again, managing a few more successful runs. Ok, I thought, maybe I won’t do this for the regualtion run but for the unlimited? Why the hell not?
The regulation run went quite smoothly. Probably could have saved a few minutes but for a first submission, for me, it wasn’t too bad at all. I decided to go to the tunnels at Peyson Holdings in the Yarolkis system first. It’s such a blast to fly though the two service tunnels that lead in and out of the large, circular planetary surface ports. In one end, flying between all the tower blocks and out through the other end. Then it was on to LP 241-1 to fly through the super structure of a Federal Capital Ship.
Flying through a Federation capital ship is pretty straightforward. Plenty of gaps in the forward section there, although it really helps if you turn on night vision so you can see the supports properly. I thought about trying for a TTB here but I thought, no, not this time. Many a time I’ve confidently boosted through here only to go spinning off like a catherine wheel. After this, it’s off to the Tir Na Nog system to find more conventional Buckyball tunnels.
There are two installations at Tir Na Nog, the Chief Environment Authority and the Universal Employment board. Both are identical and there is only one tunnel in the whole of each installation that’s viable to fly through. I had familiarised myself with the layout and could find the right tunnel no matter which direction I jumped in from. You have to get your flight path just right though, or you could catch one of the girders that lay off to the side a little. That will end your attempt right away. Again, getting this right gives you a real high! Once I’d visited both installations and flown through both tunnels, it’s off to Vequess next.
The penultimate obstacle for my run was Agnews Folly in the Vequess system. We’ve been here before, only instead of flying around the station we’ve only got to fly between both of the surrounding orange support hoops that support the mail slot and the superstructure. Now, this is testament to how far I’ve come just this season. In the first race I had a lot of trouble getting this right and so didn’t bother flying under them at all. But now I can sail right through them every time. Although on this run I messed up the gravity braking approach (I usually mess it up, but even so it’s still a lot quicker than the conventional approach) which meant I jumped in behind the stattion rather than ahead of it. Didn’t matter, I don’t have to dock here, just fly through those hoops!
Then it was just a matter of flying through the Empire Capital Ship in the same system and then getting back to Gaensler Station. The whole journey took seven jumps, with obstacles to fly through on four of them and I ended up on the leaderboard the following day.
Tons to do on this race, but still easily managing a sub 30 minute time. The mark of a real, classic Buckyball! And I knew I could do better. I wasn’t sure I’d have time to improve this run, but getting a full bonus time down on an Unlimited run was my goal.
I had initially done all my scouting in my Imperial Courier, the Afterimage, but I felt I needed something a little closer to the size of my sidewinder. So I decided to go with my Imperial Eagle, the Kid Gloves. I could have gone with By-Tor, my normal Eagle, but the Kid Gloves was already engineered for speed. I didn’t want anything superfast, just managably fast and 750 m/s was about right.
Now to practice a trench run with the new ship. This time, I struggled. Also, as the Kid Gloves isn’t anywhere near as tough as my little Finding My Way I kept viewing the rebuy screen. I was managing to get though occaionally but not consistently and never cleanly. Time was running out. There was nothing for it now but to attempt a run and hope for the best.
Okay, here we go. Take off, fly to the slot, immediately turn and sail around to the side of the station to face the trenches. I made a decision. This time, instead of going through clockwise, with the station spinning toward me, I’d follow the advice on Sgurr’s tutorial and go though anticlockwise. I flew to the corner, matched speed with the rotation, smoothly entered the superstrcture without a scratch. The station groaned and creaked ominously around me, threatening to crush my little fly of a ship as I made my way along. But I managed to fly right through to the end, continuously using my lateral thrusters to stay as centralised as possible, then with ever such a slight bump, flew out though the following corner.
I’d done it! I’d actually done it!
Can’t get too cocky. There’s the rest of the run still to fly.
It went really well. Peyson was smooth and fast. The Fed Cap Ship was a bit dark so I decided not to risk doing a TTB here. The tunnels at Tir Na Nog went well, as did the hoops at Agnews. Flew though them faster than I’d ever done. Then…then came the last obstacle, the Empire Capital Ship at Vequess. It was now or never. I lined up with that hoop thingy at the rear of the ship, threw the throttle forward, turned off flight assist and gently nudged the stick back to spin myself around and then pushed on it to stop my spin in what I hoped would be a 180 degree flip.
My nose danced around a bit, but, to my great relief, I had flown through almost perfectly backwards! Now to get back to Gaensler!
There I am! With a run time of 23:37 and then, with both bonuses subtracted, 21:47. A time I can truly be proud of. I was hoping now to be able to get back in my Cobra and both improve my Regulation run time and fit in both bonuses there but, well, I kept blowing her up in the trench and before I knew it, time had run out. It was a great pity. I would love to have had more runs with this marvellous race.
So, let’s look at the final leaderboards.
Still second from last. I just know I could have leapt a handful of places there. Really, really frustrated with that. But, again, just look at how many are on this list! So many new racers this year! I can’t repeat this enough that this is so good to see. Incredible how well Kevin The Stabber is doing. They have never raced before this season.
A lot happier with my Unlimited time for obvious reasons. So thrilled with having completed a trench run! Again, so many entries! It’s so exciting for the future of Buckyballing! Great flying everybody!
A HUGE thank you and MASSIVE hug to Sgurr. The last race was epic, but this? As Alec Turner has mentioned in the forum, this will be remembered in Buckyball circles for aeons. One of the classics! One of the greats! Let’s hope it will be re-run in Buckyball seasons for years to come.
Next race will be hosted in July by Cmdr Raiko and will be called
“The Galaxy’s End 2 – Double or Nothing!”
Stay posted to the Buckyball upcoming events page for info!
I can’t WAIT!
Elite Dangerous RUSH FLEET 
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