How can I escape Witchspace

[Yah-Ta-Hey]

Greetings Brother Sky Warrior,
I am Yah-Ta-Hey rider of the starship- Tatanka. I want to pow-wow with you and to learn the truth of a problem that this warrior had.
Tatanka and I were outbound to a distant planet when the witchspace collapsed and dumped us onto a force of those that we count coup against. There were five of these discs with Tatanka in the middle.
Figuring that this was a good day to die, I planted my missile and sand my death chant while targeting the nearest enemy with my forward lance. My lance took him down in a moment, I turned to the back and my rear lance got a second enemy. I spun around my missile managing to drop another with my white hot front lance. The enemy then separated all the while firing their weapons at me. This day I counted coup and became a greater warrior. The Mighty Spirit was with me… I engaged all five and counted coup on all five without any injury to Tatanka or myself. My warhoop shook the walls of Tatanka. I gathered up my spoils and it filled Tatanka’s empty belly with 30 tonnes of trophies and dead enemy.
I started my hyperspace only to say I did not have the fuel. I checked my charts… only 1.1ly of travel.. The nearest trader was 2.2ly away. I looked for a sun so I could let Tatanka graze and replenish his strength but there were none to be seen. I tried to escape… the pod would not work, my injectors would not work, even letting my ebomb explode outside Tatanka did nothing to move my friend and me.
For days, we traveled ( I think) for with no references, how can you know that you are moving but no stars, no witchspace, no enemy came upon us. Tatanka and I was trapped, no way to get out!!!!! Food was low as Tatanka was going to a rich trading post and the belly must be empty to gather more at the end of the journey. I shut down Tatanka and drifted while singing my Death song once more. In the end, the Great Spirit will bring Tatanka and me home covered in glory and coup but, Brothers of the sky,
I can make it back…. How does a warrior get back to his time and space when he is so hopelessly trapped? Your brother in the stars: Yah-Te-Hey

[Commander McLane]

Hi, Yah-Ta-Hey, and first of all welcome to the boards, and of course to this great game!

This was a mighty tale of a mighty warrior! I am impressed!

Unfortunately many a good ship has been trapped in the depth of interstellar space just like the Tatanka. No word ever emerged about the fate of its pilot, whether he was able to prevail over the Thargoids, or died a heroic death in battle. Even if he managed to win the battle, he may have lost to the immense vastness of interstellar space. Because the fact of the matter is: your witchspace fuel is used to open a wormhole in the first place. This means that, even if you are intercepted and don't make it to your destination, all fuel which would have been needed to get there, is gone. Therefore you may have been stranded with too little fuel to reach the nearest system.

In the plain game (without OXPs, what we call "vanilla" Oolite), there is no way out of this situation. Effectively you're dead. Just like you describe you can fly in interstellar space forever, but you will never get anywhere. And eventually your pilot will run out of food (or you as the player will get bored and pull the plug). It's a real dead end.

Fortunately, Oolite is expandable with OXPs. And so, many OXP authors had pity with the poor stranded pilot and came up with ways to help him out.

•  Fuel Collector offers an equipment item which allows you to scoop fuel even far away from the sun, and even in interstellar space. You only have to fly around at high speed for a very long time, but eventually you will have gathered enough quirium to jump out.
  
  The Fuel Collector also allows you to harvest fuel from derelict ships, should you be able to come across one. Just fly very close to it.
• [wiki]Fuel Tank[/wiki] offers exactly what it says on the tin: an external extra fuel tank. You have to sacrifice one missile and mount a fuel tank on its pylon. "Firing" this tank will route its content of 3LY worth of fuel into your main tanks. Then the tank is empty and will be jettisoned.
•  Interstellar Help lets you encounter helpful traders in interstellar space, who are willing to sell some of their fuel to you, or to let you follow in their own wormhole. Of course, this has a price. You also will be able to help out other traders in much the same way. A helpful ship will only show up if you have less than 1LY worth of fuel left.

I hope these may be helpful for my brother Sky Warrior Yah-Ta-Hey! How!


EDIT: corrected a stoopid mistake (thanks for the heads-up, Featleaf!)

[Cody]

Hi Yah-Ta-Hey and welcome... if you can afford it, always carry a Galactic Hyperdrive.
In extremis, this will enable you to escape from interstellar space.

Is there something of the Navajo in your name?

[Smivs]

Hi Yah-Ta-Hey,
Just wanted to add my welcome to the others. What an excellent first post, It's Good.

[TGHC]

Hi Yah-Ta-Hey

Great first post, looking forward to more.

Looks like your fighting skills are pretty good, so you must be an experienced commander, as El Viejo says always carry a Galactic hyperdrive anyway, but if you're in the middle of a mission you may have to use it 8 times to get back on track, so the best way is to get the fuel collector OXP and to save time increase your TAF, once you have enough once you have enough fuel take the TAF back down to normal, and of you go.

[Cody]

I think that TAF is due to be disabled sometime soon.

[TGHC]

Ok then just go and make a cup of coffee and come back again

[Smivs]

You could always carry 7 GalDrivePods (if you have an Anaconda!). You'd be back to where you started in no time, and it would only cost Cr 52 500

[Cody]

In interstellar space, I think Fuel Collector takes something like five hours to fill your tank... a lot of coffee.

[CheeseRedux]

In interstellar space, I think Fuel Collector takes something like five hours to fill your tank... a lot of coffee.

Is that half full or full full? 'cause, y'know, ya only need it half full at the max...
(Which is also why a 3ly Fuel Tank will usually get you there.)

[Cody]

Absolutely right CR... yeah, that's a full tank. It still takes a long time.... I know, I've done it, but I needed a full tank on that occasion, as I was crossing the Great Rift.

[Fatleaf]

Fuel Tank also allows you to harvest fuel from derelict ships, should you be able to come across one. Just fly very close to it.

Correction, it is the [wiki]Fuel_Collector_OXP[/wiki] that allows you to do this.

And welcome to the 'friendliest forum this side of Riedquat'™

[drew]

'friendliest forum this side of Riedquat'™

Just don't go to the otherside of Riedquat. I've heard it's pretty dire over there!

Cheers,

Drew.

[Fatleaf]

'friendliest forum this side of Riedquat'™

Just don't go to the otherside of Riedquat. I've heard it's pretty dire over there!

I hear there are crazy beings with katana' who like to bite the heads off Jelly Babies over that side!

[Cody]

Cue 'The Twilight Zone' music.