How will jump point discovery mechanic work? Is the jump point discovery expected to be real-time flight maneuvering or is it strictly based on sensors and electronics that can map the jump point?asked by Julian Delphiki
TL;DRFinding jump points will involve partly manual scanning, then flying a skill-based path through the jump point, which isn't fully prototyped yet, with the route recorded in the nav computer for repeat trips.
So you would need to be scanning for the jump point, I think there's going to be some level of manual, it's not just going to be automatic so you need to be checking frequencies and honing in on stuff when you detect it. Then when you figure it out, and triangle in on the point of entry, then you're going to have to fly it. That's going to be a kind of skill based flight mechanic. We haven't prototyped that out fully, but the concept of that is you're going to be flying down the equivalent of a huge breaking wave down off the North Shore of Hawaii. If you have to go down the funnel, essentially surf it exactly correctly down the path, as long as you keep on the path and get to the end of it, and depending on the size of it the and the length of it we'll have turbulence and all that. Once you get to the end and you've tracked that, and recorded that in your navigational computer, then you can automatically go back and do it again. Some of those will be more difficult than others, and also the navigation computer itself, well some are better at recording than others, some don't have have the capabilities to do the more complicated ones. And that's the sort of equipment you'd want to kit out as an explorer looking for jump points.