Galactic Hyperdrive

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Revision as of 13:16, 2 January 2024 by Cholmondely (talk | contribs) (Tweaks, added "Galactic Hyperdrive Reimagined")

One shot hyperdrive engines, used to make one jump to another level galaxy of which there are eight.

Vanilla game
Name Galactic Hyperdrive
Cost 5,000₢
TL Availability 11

Overview

Vanilla game equipment operated by pressing g on your astrogation console.

A Galactic Hyperdrive doesn't use any fuel (all the fuel is contained in the device) and can be purchased for 5,000₢ at any planet with a tech level of 11 or over.

Due to difficulties in long-range communication, criminal records are not shared between the galactic sectors: so regardless of your criminal rating, you come out legally Clean when you emerge into a new galaxy. Thus the Galactic Hyperdrive is sometimes used by mobsterpilots to escape prosecution.

Coluber HUD: Galactic Hyperdrive icon

OXPs

There are several OXPs which affect this. Some modify the vanilla game Galactic Hyperdrive, but GalDrivePod is an additional version which is loaded on a missile pylon.

  • GalDrivePod provides a (second?) pylon-mounted Galactic Drive allowing one to leave the "unreachable areas" in the next galaxy (by Smivs).
  • Galactic Hyperdrive OXP allows a choice of destinations in the next Galaxy
  • Galactic Hyperdrive Reimagined makes the vanilla game equipment rechargeable by sunskimming, and the Galactic Hyperjump take time (several days) which can wreck some mission OXPs.
  • Galactic Misjump OXP - what happens if you misjump between galaxies? By Cim.

Also relevant


Classic Elite

For the BBC Micro version of Classic Elite, the Galactic Hyperdrive entry points are fixed for each galaxy:

  1. Usle, (85,99) TL: 9, Confederacy, purchase next Galactic Hyperdrive at Enonla.
  2. Ororra, (96,95) TL : 4, Confederacy, purchase next Galactic Hyperdrive at Resori.
  3. Xeines, (90,111) TL : 3, Anarchy, purchase next Galactic Hyperdrive at Alace.
  4. Soenisti, (99,103) TL : 4, Anarchy, purchase next Galactic Hyperdrive at Biante.
  5. Ceinan, (105,93) TL : 7, Confederacy, purchase next Galactic Hyperdrive at Sotidi.
  6. Intisoar, (99,102) TL : 7, Confederacy
  7. Beritere, (106,95) TL : 3, Anarchy
  8. Cecees, (94,96) TL : 8, Anarchy

The system chosen is the one encompassed by the smallest rectangular search box centred on (96,96). The choice of '96' was driven by the desire to generate an '0x60' Op-code in this vicinity of the 6502 machine code, an RTS command that could be reached by nearby branch instructions. The observation that the system government is either Anarchy or Confederacy appears unrelated as the connection to the coordinate calculations is indirect.

Ian Bell & Classic Elite variants

In a text-only trading version of Elite coded by Ian Bell in C around 1999 the planet number is conserved across a galactic hyperdrive jump. These are listed in the planet list but are not visible to the player. This choice gives the appearance of random, but predictable, entry points (determined by your departure planet). This choice allows access to the large isolated island of systems in Galaxy 7 and is responsible for the the ancient warning "If you leave Galaxy 7 from Rainza you will end up at Oresrati in Galaxy 8".

This choice was implemented in some post-classic versions of Elite, including ArcElite.


Theory

Why only one-way travel? See the discussion of Cody's theory in The Eight.

Some older fanfiction/technobabble on Elite's engine drives can be found here .




Oolite Equipment
Standard Equipment
Astrogation ConsoleCargo HoldCompassEnergy banksEngine/Main Drive • HUDIFF ScannerLife Support SystemsMissilePulse LaserShieldsShip's HullTorus Jump DriveView Screen • Witchspace/Hyperspace Drive
Optional Equipment
Advanced Navigational ArrayAdvanced Space CompassCargo Bay ExpansionDocking ComputersE.C.M. SystemEscape PodExtra Energy UnitExternal Heat ShieldingFuel ScoopsGalactic HyperdriveIntegrated Targeting SystemMilitary Shield EnhancementMulti-Targeting SystemNaval Energy UnitPassenger BerthScanner Targeting EnhancementShield BoostersTarget System Memory ExpansionWitchdrive Fuel InjectorsWormhole Scanner
Weapons
Beam LaserECM Hardened MissileEnergy BombMilitary LaserMining LaserMissilePulse LaserQuirium Cascade MineTwin Plasma Cannon