  The construction of the European Spallation Source (ESS) faces many
challenges from the neutron beam transport point of view: The spallation source
is specified as being driven by a 5 MW beam of protons, each with 2 GeV energy,
and yet the requirements in instrument background suppression relative to
measured signal vary between 10$^{-6}$ and 10$^{-8}$. The energetic particles,
particularly above 20 MeV, which are expected to be produced in abundance in
the target, have to be filtered in order to make the beamlines safe,
operational and provide good quality measurements with low background.
  We present generic neutron guides of short and medium length instruments
which are optimized for good performance at minimal cost. Direct line of sight
to the source is avoided twice, with either the first point out of line of
sight or both being inside the bunker (20\,m) to minimize shielding costs.
These guide geometries are regarded as a baseline to define standards for
instruments to be constructed at ESS. They are used to find commonalities and
develop principles and solutions for common problems. Lastly, we report the
impact of employing the over-illumination concept to mitigate losses from
random misalignment passively, and that over-illumination should be used
sparingly in key locations to be effective. For more widespread alignment
issues, a more direct, active approach is likely to be needed.
