Drifter Wormholes
Overview
Drifter wormholes (Unidentified Wormholes leading to Sentinel, Barbican, Vidette, Conflux, or Redoubt hive systems) represent one of the single largest security risks to corporation Rorqual and capital mining operations. Unlike standard wormhole connections, Drifter holes can spawn directly into active mining systems and allow hostiles quick, unmonitored ingress across vast distances. Before any Industrial Core is activated on a mining grid, all designated Drifter wormholes within the system must be systematically reduced to a Critical ("Crit") mass state or rolled (collapsed) entirely. This document serves as the official FALSE GODS Corporation Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for identifying, pinging, managing, and rolling Drifter wormholes safely.
Operational Objectives
Primary Goal: Reduce target Drifter wormholes to Critical state (<10% remaining mass) immediately upon discovery to restrict heavy hostile fleets from bridging, jumping, or projecting power into home space. Secondary Goal: Ensure total safety of roller pilots, minimizing ship and pod losses through strict ping management, out-hole bookmarking, proper ship fittings, and disciplined mass tracking.
Standing Orders & Mandatory Protocols
All corporation members and pilots operating in home space must strictly adhere to the following standing rules regarding Drifter connections: IMMEDIATE ACTION (NO EXCEPTIONS): All Drifter wormholes found in home space must be brought to Critical Mass (crit) immediately upon discovery prior to high-value industrial deployments. PRIORITY OVERRIDE: If you scan down or identify an active Drifter connection, temporarily pause non-critical individual activities (ratting, mining, local industrial transport), mobilize an approved rolling vessel, bring the connection to critical status, and then resume normal operations. CRIT AND HOLD: Do not leave a Drifter connection un-crit while waiting for others. Unless explicitly instructed by an Operations Director or Fleet Commander (FC) to collapse/close the hole completely, reduce it to Stage 3 (Critically Disrupted), cease rolling, and hold position or report. MANDATORY INTEL REPORTING: The moment the hole reaches critical status, you MUST post an intel report in the corp/alliance intel channels. Include:
- System Name & Nearest Celestial / Grid Bookmark
- Wormhole Signature ID & Type (e.g., S877, V928, B735)
- Status Confirmation: CRIT COMPLETE
System Network & Wormhole Signatures
Drifter systems feature specific signature designations based on the destination hive system. Each Drifter hive system acts as a central hub connecting dozens of K-Space systems alongside static C1–C6 wormholes.
| Wormhole Name | K-Space Sig | J-Type Designation | System Effect | Controlling NPC Faction | Hive System Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vidette | V928 | J164710 | Magnetar | Amarr Empire | Sanctified Vidette |
| Redoubt | R259 | J174618 | Wolf-Rayet | Triglavian Collective | Azdaja Redoubt |
| Sentinel | S877 | J055520 | Red Giant | EDENCOM | Sentinel MZ |
| Barbican | B735 | J110145 | Cataclysmic Variable | Minmatar Republic | Liberated Barbican |
| Conflux | C414 | J200727 | Pulsar | Caldari State | Conflux Eyrie |
Network Topography & Mass Properties
Total Connections: Each Drifter hive connects to 50–70 K-Space systems via Jove Observatories, plus 6 static wormholes to J-Space (Z647, D382, O477, Y683, N062, R474). Spawn Mass Allowance: Standard Drifter connections (e.g., S877) spawn at approximately half of their maximum total capacity (~375,000,000 kg remaining capacity upon initial spawn out of a ~750M max base). Maximum Single Jump Mass Limit: 300,000,000 kg (300M kg).
Safety Requirements & Golden Rules
Before initiating any wormhole rolling operation, every pilot must strictly observe these core safety principles:
Golden Rules
Always Roll in an Empty Pod:
- Never fly a rolling ship with implants, hardwires, or expensive clone setups.
- If your ship is tackled by Drifter NPCs or hostile scouts, losing a blank clone costs nothing and enables an immediate home-station respawn.
Create an "Out Hole" Bookmark Inside Immediately:
- As soon as you jump through into the Drifter system, create an OUT HOLE bookmark directly on the wormhole signature.
- If the hole collapses prematurely or mass calculations fail, this bookmark provides your only safe visual reference to attempt an exit. Without it or a probe launcher, your only remaining option is self-destruct.
Always Carry Probes & Scanning Equipment:
- Ensure your ship has a fitted Core Probe Launcher (or mobile depot with one in cargo) and a full set of probes.
Cloaking Capability Recommended:
- A Covert Ops Cloaking Device or standard prototype cloak allows you to wait out Drifter NPC spawns or hostile camps safely on grid.
Understanding Wormhole Mass States
Every wormhole possesses a maximum total mass capacity and an individual jump mass limit. As ships pass through, their mass is deducted from the wormhole's remaining allowance.
| Mass State | Remaining Mass (% Total) | System Message / Visual Indicator | Operational Status | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh | 100% – 50% | "This wormhole has not yet had its stability significantly disrupted by ships passing through it." Normal visual aperture size.
Unsafe — Hostile fleets can easily pass through. style="background-color: #fff3cd; color: #856404; font-weight: bold;" 50% – 10% "This wormhole has had its stability reduced by ships passing through it, but not to a critical level." Aperture visually shrinks. Active Rolling — Exercise caution, prepare mass calculations. - style="background-color: #f8d7da; color: #721c24; font-weight: bold;" Less than 10% "This wormhole has had its stability critically disrupted by the passage of ships and is on the verge of collapse." Aperture pulses heavily and visibly distorts. TARGET STATE — Hostile heavy fleets cannot jump without collapsing the connection on their lead ships. } Drifter NPC Behavior & Threat MatrixDrifter NPCs utilize advanced AI dynamics that differ significantly from standard Sleeper rats. Understanding their priorities and combat parameters is critical for survival. Drifter AI PrioritiesKill Players: They instantly lock and engage any uncloaked pilot on grid. Loot Wrecks: They will burn toward destroyed ships or player wrecks to harvest them. Return to Hole / Camp: Once idle, they return to the wormhole aperture to camp the location. NPC Threat Table
Grid Engagement RulesIf Drifter NPCs land or spawn on grid: If Cloaked: Cloak immediately, align out, and wait for them to burn off grid. If Uncloaked: Do NOT approach the wormhole directly while Drifters camp it. Warp away to your 10,000 km safe ping, wait for them to reposition, or utilize a cloak. Aggro Clearing ProtocolIf you accidentally trigger aggression from Autothysian Lancers or roaming Drifters across a system: Dock at the local station/structure immediately. Board a standard, cheap T1 frigate (do not use a corvette or pod). Warp to the Jove Observatory / Drifter grid and allow the Lancers/Drifters to destroy the empty frigate. Destruction of a player-owned frigate resets your character's entry in their system-wide aggression table. Step-by-Step Rolling ProcedureStep 1: Create a 10,000 km Safe PingNever warp directly to a Drifter wormhole from an in-system celestial or gate. Hostiles or Drifters can easily catch you on warp-in. Board a fast interceptor, covert ops frigate, or fast shuttle. Warp toward the wormhole at 100 km. Pass through/past the wormhole and burn 10,000 km or more straight past it on the exact opposite side of your warp-in trajectory. Save a bookmark named PING - WH Safe [10k km]. Step 2: Warp Alignment & ApproachWarp from your celestial or station directly to your 10,000 km Safe Ping. From the Safe Ping, right-click the wormhole bookmark and select Warp to 85 km (or align toward it while cloaked). By warping from the opposite vector via the ping, you land within jump range while bypassing potential Drifter camp bubbles and direct warp-in angles. Step 3: Jump and Inside SetupJump Immediately: The grid inside the Drifter system is usually safer than lingering outside. Bookmark Inside: Instantly create an OUT HOLE - [System Name] bookmark on the inside signature. Check Grid: If Drifter NPCs or hostiles are present on the inside grid, activate your cloak immediately and hold position until clear. Step 4: Execute Mass PassesUsing the calculated mass of your chosen roller ship (see Ship Mass Table below), execute controlled Hot (propulsion module ON) and Cold (propulsion module OFF) passes. Ship Fits & Mass SpecificationsThe primary approved rolling hulls are the Megathron (Heavy Roller), Sigil (Precision/Budget Roller), and Heavy Interdictor (HIC Precision Roller).
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