Hyperspace
| This topologically exotic medium of not-quite space-time is used by starships to side-step the constraints imposed by Euclidean geometry on instellar travel. | ||
–Hyperspace | ||
Hyperspace is the primary means of interstellar travel in the Sector used by all the Factions.
It is slower & less fuel efficient than Gates or Wormholes but is available from the start and still allows travel to basically anywhere in the Sector, given enough fuel for the trip.
Entering & Exiting
Jump Points
| Jump points can be used to transit between hyperspace and normal space. Some jump points also lead to other destinations. | ||
–In-Game Description | ||
Jump Points are locations within a system that the player can interact with to spend 1 ly of fuel to jump into Hyperspace. Likewise, these can also be used to re-enter normal space.
Jump points also behave like other celestial objects and will orbit the main gravity well. Do note that the location of jump points in hyperspace isn't always accurate to normal space, so there can be some unusual discrepancies.
Most systems will have at least 2 jump points, and these are located in certain distances of a system:
- Inner System: is right next to the system's main gravity well(s), do be wary when entering this for a Giant / Supergiant star as it can place you right in its corona.
- Outer System: is in the middle section of the system.
- Fringe: is usually in the outer most part of the system.
Do note that their location is based on the size of the system, so a smaller system will have them close together while a big system will have them far apart.
NPC fleets like trade conveys will always use a jump point to enter hyperspace.
Gravity Wells
| Gas Giant Gravity Well ~ The gravity well of a gas giant is often deep enough to provide a one-way exit from hyperspace.
Star Gravity Well ~ The gravity well of a star is deep enough to provide a one-way exit from hyperspace. Using one is, however, extremely difficult and dangerous. Nascant Gravity Well ~ The hyperspace distortion from an in-system entity that's not massive enough to create a jump-point. |
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–In-Game Description | ||
Gravity Wells of big enough celestial objects can be used as a one-way exit from hyperspace into a system.
These are from massive planets like Gas Giants & Ice Giants or from main gravity wells like stars.
Nascant Gravity Wells are formed by smaller-than-gas-giant celestial bodies within the system, though not all of them seems to have their own nascant gravity well as moons seems to be shadowed by their bigger host.
Transverse Jumping
Transverse Jump is an ability unlocked with either the Navigation skill, by doing the Extract 'Researcher' mission for the Galatia Academy or by foolishly using a gravity well in abyssal hyperspace & being taught it by a disgruntled senior technician.
Tranverse Jump can be used from normal space to jump into hyperspace at the cost of 1 ly of fuel and some combat readiness.
They can also be used on nascent gravity wells as another method of entering a system within vicinity of that specific planet. Do take caution when using this as unlike with jump points or normal gravity wells, a scan can't be done to detect potential hostile fleets.
Traveling
Traveling in hyperspace uses fuel.
The rate of fuel usage and remaining stores of fuel can be found in the bottom left user interface element, which can be hovered over with the mouse for more details or hover & F1 to provide a detailed breakdown of fuel usage per ship.
If a fleet runs out of fuel while in hyperspace it will drift towards the nearest gravity well and fall back into normal space there.
If it is not an inhabited system then searching for Salvaging opportunities or using the Distress Call ability may provide enough fuel to get back to a market to purchase more fuel. The player may also need to scuttle some ships in the fleets to reduce fuel usage.
Sensor ghosts of various types may be encountered in hyperspace.
An important fact is that up to burn level 20, daily fuel consumption will increase with speed accordingly, but going beyond burn level 20 won't increase the daily fuel consumption any further. During normal operations it isn't to go past burn level 20, but there are certain terrain & abilities that can be used to achieve such speeds.
Slipstreams
| A flow in hyperspace, akin to currents navigated by ancient seafarers back on Old Earth.
Most slipstreams are temporary, and in recent memory their ebb and flow has been unusually synchronized with the standard Domain cycle. |
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–In-Game Description | ||
- Main article: Slipstream
Slipstreams are large tunnels which connect distant, arbitrary points in hyperspace. When a player enters a slipstream, they will be forcefully pushed along towards the slipstream's exit; the player must steer using their fleet's engines to stay inside the slipstream, lest they get ejected at each turn and corner. The slipstream can be exited whenever the player may please, and fuel consumption is reduced by 50% while travelling through it.
Hyperspace Topography
| Details sensor readings greatly aid hyperspace navigation. There are many ways of acquiring this data, including using in-system sensor arrays, using an Active Sensor Burst near interesting phenomena, traveling through hyperspace at a very high burn speed, or simply buying data from scavengers. | ||
–In-Game Description | ||
- Main article: Hyperspace Topography
Hyperspace Topography is a major event where the player can gain & accumulate points to gain certain bonuses & abilities related to Hyperspace.
Some of these bonuses are:
- Slipstream Navigation, which further reduces fuel consumption in slipstreams by a multiplicative 75%.
- Reverse Polarity, an ability that allows traveling against a slipstream.
- Generate Slipsurge, an ability that allows the generation of a temporary slipstream away from a sufficiently large enough gravity well.
Other
There are also other methods to travel around.
When the player progresses to the current end of the Galatia Academy questline, they will obtain a special device that allows them to make use of a legacy of the Domain.
The player can also find another forgotten legacy of the Domain at the Limbo System in Abyssal hyperspace.
Hyperspace Variations
- For information on terrain in general, see Terrain.
Deep Hyperspace
| This volume of hyperspace is particularly chaotic, hindering performance of even hyperspace-calibrated equipment. | ||
–In-Game Description | ||
Hyperspace contains Deep Hyperspace zones, denoted by dark clouds.
Fleets in deep hyperspace have 50% the sensor profile and can slow your fleet by up to 50% the bigger it is, similarly to nebula in normal space.
They can make excellent ambush nests, provided care is taken to move when a storm starts forming.
Hyperspace Storms
| This volume of hyperspace is undergoing chaotic phase shifts leading to wildly fluctuating resonance cascades. Ancient and dire warnings of prolonged exposure to so-called "hyperspace storms" have been passed down through generations of spacers. | ||
–In-Game Description | ||
Deep hyperspace clouds can randomly independently turn into hyperspace storms. Deep hyperspace clouds will glow brighter for a few seconds before turning into a storm. Storms are brightly lit with flashes of lightning.
Hyperspace storms cause periodic random storm strikes to fleets inside them. Strikes deal great damage to a randomly selected ship's hull, armor and combat readiness (but cannot kill ships outright) and also toss the fleet a considerable distance through space. Larger fleets incur more damage upon a strike.
Hyperspace Storm Surfing
Plowing through a storm area can cost significant supplies; however a savvy (or foolhardy) captain may also deliberately fly into hyperspace storms in an attempt to get more speed.
Storms potentially increase a fleet's maximum burn speed higher than the nominal 20 burn speed maximum, and no additional fuel is consumed for increasing burn speed above 20.
This makes trips much faster and more fuel efficient if you can stay on course. The nuanced skill to this is in the way that individual storms will divert the fleet off course; the further the fleet is from the relative centerline of the storm the more it will divert the fleet, while passing through the direct center of the storm will not divert the fleet at all. Hyperspace storm surfing is an exercise in adjusting the trajectory to go all in down the center of the storm.
Emergency Burn can be quite useful for ensuring a particular trajectory before or after hitting a storm, due to its high acceleration. Conversely, Sustained Burn is detrimental to control and should be disengaged when entering a hyperspace storm. Remember that storm strikes are more damaging for larger fleets and a large fleet might not be able to use Emergency Burn directly after a strike due to at least one ship having insufficient CR.
The costs of hyperspace storm surfing can be highly mitigated with the Solar Shielding hullmod.
Abyssal Hyperspace
| Abyssal hyperspace, nearly impenetrable to sensors and exerting an enormous pressure on the drive field. The subject of many an old spacer's tale, more easily laughed off in the comfort of a dockside bar. | ||
–In-Game Description | ||
- Main article: Abyssal hyperspace
Abyssal hyperspace is found in the bottom-left of the map (the region marked "Orion-Perseus Abyss") and around the edges of the rest of the map. Within this area, the interstellar background and other visual details are shrouded in darkness.
Sensor range and burn speed are reduced to 25% their normal value, and gravity wells and jump points are only visible at close range.
Change History
0.9
- Toned down the effect of hyperstorm strikes on fleet movement
- Adjusted storm strike target selection and CR damage so that Emergency Burn remains usable for large fleets after multiple strikes
- Added help popup explaining interaction with Emergency Burn when fleet is first hit by strike
- Slightly increased the amount of clear "lanes" in hyperspace
