Hyperspace Lanes: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

 

== [[Literature]] ==

* The [[Star Wars]] [[Expanded Universe]] is a textbook hyperspace routes example. There are several major trade routes going from one end of the Galaxy to another, smaller but slower routes branching off them to individual systems and little-know routes that are faster than average but have the danger of coming too close to stars or black holes to compensate. When no known routes to a location exist, a series of mini-jumps is required to constantly double-check there are no stars or other dangerous objects in the way. Also, rarely used routes become unusable over time due to stars slowly moving around in space. To make matters more interesting, large portion of the galaxy is unaccessible to hyperdrive due to Hyperspace Disturbance and requires unconventional technology to get to. And yes, several stories point out how the fastest way to get from point A to point B lies anywhere but a direct route.

* [[The Lost Fleet]] uses this, however a more effective Portal Network is set up in important systems and the FTL pathways are almost forgotten about until the events of the series.

** Even in the Vanilla Hyperspace, there are also [[Negative Space Wedgie|Grav Waves]], for lack of a better term, "wrinkles" in hyperspace, that ships can use special energy sails to ride on to cut their travel time down considerably. These waves end up becoming ''de facto'' hyperspace lanes in their own right.

* In [[Jack Campbell]]'s ''[[The Lost Fleet]]'', this is the slower and less effective form of FTL. Some waystation planets are dying because a new means came in.

 

== [[Live Action TV]] ==

** Even the larger ships will find themselves in trouble if they lose their navigation systems or engines in combat in hyperspace, drifting helplessly into the void. For this reason, most commanders, if given any real choice, will avoid fighting battles in hyperspace, instead preferring to mass their forces near strategic key points such as jump gates or planets.

* Slipstream in ''[[Andromeda]]'' works like this.

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

* In ''[[Sins of a Solar Empire]]'', ships can only jump from certain from a planet's gravity well to certain other planets' gravity wells, as well as only being able to jump to other star systems from the star in the system they're in.

* In ''[[Escape Velocity]]'', ships can only jump from a given system to certain other (usually) nearby systems without stopping in other star systems along the way.

* [[Hyperspace Lanes]] are also used in the Final Frontier mod of ''[[Civilization]] IV'', to justify the construction of roads in outer space.

** They are essential to the gameplay, as ships can only move one or two squares per turn. Unfortunately, this also means they are constant targets for [[Space Pirates]].

* In ''[[Free Space]]'' and ''Freespace 2'' travel between systems is done at jump nodes, essentially the end points of established wormholes that travel between systems.

** Which is a little confusing given that the first two games have nothing of the sort. You can go anywhere you want (unless there's a black hole in the way), as long as you've got the range.

* ''[[Infinite Space]]'' - Space travel is restricted to "starlanes", which are apparently a naturally occurring phenomenon.

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

{{quote| '''Prof. Farnsworth:''' Of course! That was the Panama Wormhole, Earth's central channel for shipping.<br />

'''Dr. Zoidberg:''' [laughs] How humorous.<br />