Escape Velocity/WMG

The "Galactic North, South, East, West" refer's to the relation of the galactic center

 * It means that the direction toward the galactic core is referred as "Galactic north" due to most galaxy's seeming like a flat plane of star's,
 * Well, its not EXACTLY a flat plane but you get the idea

Warp travel is instant both in-game and In-universe

 * Hyperspace causes time to slow down, The reason a larger ship take longer is because the more massive a Hyperspace tunnel needs to be created, this causes a higher time dialation slowing down time further, it might be Jossed Because Hypergate's in Nova are instant, but the hypergates could use wormhole technology while warp drives use Hyperspace Tech.
 * It is jossed in Nova - one or two scattered texts mentions things being done while in hyperspace. That, of course, does not mean it is jossed for the other two games - after all, all three games takes place in entirely separate verses from one another.
 * In point of fact, the documentation for EV Classic states that in that universe, hyperspace travel is instantaneous for the traveler.