Plot route function: abysmally bad

Kibitzer

Kibitzer
The plot route function is abysmally bad. Why? I give an example:
1: I plot a route of 150 jumps
2: after 5 jumps I get a message: "Frame shift cancelled: exceeds drive fuel use limit of xxxx tons"
3: then I try to replot a route to the same waypoint
4: I get the message: "Plotting error, route unavailable"

It's really frustrating. Is this normal? @%^^%$!!!!!
 

Bottom Hat

Bottom Hat
ok-cranky-face.gif
 

Frop

Frop
Yes, if you set really strict filters it will occasionally act a bit wonky. Set to Realistic and replot your route or loosen your filters.
 

Northpin

Northpin
Kibitzer said:
The plot route function is abysmally bad. Why? I give an example:
1: I plot a route of 150 jumps
2: after 5 jumps I get a message: "Frame shift cancelled: exceeds drive fuel use limit of xxxx tons"
3: then I try to replot a route to the same waypoint
4: I get the message: "Plotting error, route unavailable"

It's really frustrating. Is this normal? @%^^%$!!!!!
Click to expand...

The plotter will plot a route.
It's your responsibility to make sure you have fuel to reach the destination.
If you check the plotted route in the galaxy map, you'll notice that at some point the plotted line will become dotted - meaning you will not have fuel - and before that you will have a star marked something like Fuel Star - meaning if you dont refuel there, you might get stranded

Edit:
Now, i do hope you know about Fuel Scoops, scooping fuel and KGB FOAM star designation for scoopable stars.
Also about the Economical route setting and Fastest route setting
Not at last, about jumponium and Neutron Boosting.
 

aquilla

A
Kibitzer said:
The plot route function is abysmally bad. Why? I give an example:
1: I plot a route of 150 jumps
2: after 5 jumps I get a message: "Frame shift cancelled: exceeds drive fuel use limit of xxxx tons"
3: then I try to replot a route to the same waypoint
4: I get the message: "Plotting error, route unavailable"

It's really frustrating. Is this normal? @%^^%$!!!!!
Click to expand...
could be that theres a neutron star or white dwarf nearby that you need to get a boost from to continue your journey , sometimes they can be far away
 

Jmanis

Jmanis
Kibitzer said:
The plot route function is abysmally bad. Why? I give an example:
1: I plot a route of 150 jumps
2: after 5 jumps I get a message: "Frame shift cancelled: exceeds drive fuel use limit of xxxx tons"
3: then I try to replot a route to the same waypoint
4: I get the message: "Plotting error, route unavailable"

It's really frustrating. Is this normal? @%^^%$!!!!!
Click to expand...
Re:2, it's because it will plot for your current range, which is dependent in-part on the amount of fuel in your tank and cargo (more fuel = more weight = less range)

If you plot when you have, say, a half empty tank, then. or stop halfway and grab some cargo, the range of a potential jump may be greater than your jump range, so it fails with that error.

Then for 4, if that's a critical jump, and there's no other way through... if you replot you will still be too heavy to make the jump.

Lastly, 4 can happen often if you're plotting near permit locked systems. You might need to manually work that one, but that's because the plotter doesn't seem to know which systems are locked and which aren't until it tries to use it (rather than at search)

Edit: or as others said, you've plotted with white dwarf/neutrons added, and it's expecting you to get the boost before continuing.
 
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varonica

varonica
Always plot with a full tank, if you are intending to carry cargo always plot after loading with said cargo. Always remember that a plotted route is based on your current jump range, which may allow you to plot, but if you decrease jump range for any reason the same route may not be available because the stars can't move closer together to allow for your error!
 

Kibitzer

Kibitzer
Northpin said:
The plotter will plot a route.
It's your responsibility to make sure you have fuel to reach the destination.
If you check the plotted route in the galaxy map, you'll notice that at some point the plotted line will become dotted - meaning you will not have fuel - and before that you will have a star marked something like Fuel Star - meaning if you dont refuel there, you might get stranded

Edit:
Now, i do hope you know about Fuel Scoops, scooping fuel and KGB FOAM star designation for scoopable stars.
Also about the Economical route setting and Fastest route setting
Not at last, about jumponium and Neutron Boosting.
Click to expand...

I had this problem (again) when I was in Mare Somnia, on my way back home from Beagle point. So, unsurprisingly enough I do use a fuel scoop during my little excursion. I always use "fastest" route setting and I include stars that don't match the KGB FOAM criterion. About neutron boosting: tempting, but I'll do that after I delivered my data. Better safe then very sorry.
 

Kibitzer

Kibitzer
varonica said:
Always plot with a full tank, if you are intending to carry cargo always plot after loading with said cargo. Always remember that a plotted route is based on your current jump range, which may allow you to plot, but if you decrease jump range for any reason the same route may not be available because the stars can't move closer together to allow for your error
Click to expand...
 

varonica

varonica
Kibitzer said:
I had this problem (again) when I was in Mare Somnia, on my way back home from Beagle point. So, unsurprisingly enough I do use a fuel scoop during my little excursion. I always use "fastest" route setting and I include stars that don't match the KGB FOAM criterion. About neutron boosting: tempting, but I'll do that after I delivered my data. Better safe then very sorry.
Click to expand...

The thing is this, if you, say, decide to pick up an occupied life pod or something like that, it will change your jump range, you might then continue on your previous plotted course and suddenly hit the dreaded;

2: after 5 jumps I get a message: "Frame shift cancelled: exceeds drive fuel use limit of xxxx tons"
Click to expand...

Even though the route is plotted, adding mass to your ship means you can't necessarily follow the plotted route, so whenever you pick something up you need to re-plot the route to make sure you can still do it. I never have this issue out in the black, but then a lot of my exploration builds simply don't have cargo racks just to avoid this problem.
 

CMDR DUANES

CMDR DUANES
Kibitzer said:
The plot route function is abysmally bad. Why? I give an example:
1: I plot a route of 150 jumps
2: after 5 jumps I get a message: "Frame shift cancelled: exceeds drive fuel use limit of xxxx tons"
3: then I try to replot a route to the same waypoint
4: I get the message: "Plotting error, route unavailable"

It's really frustrating. Is this normal? @%^^%$!!!!!
Click to expand...
It happens. But actually, in such a case the mistake is yours.
 

Walter2

Walter2
There is also a limit to the number of jumps that can be plotted. I've been caught out a few times by successfully plotting a Fastest 500Ly route, then failing when changing the route to the same target to Economical and recalculating before setting off. It's clearly related to the density of stars between me and the destination.
 

varonica

varonica
Walter2 said:
There is also a limit to the number of jumps that can be plotted. I've been caught out a few times by successfully plotting a Fastest 500Ly route, then failing when changing the route to the same target to Economical and recalculating before setting off. It's clearly related to the density of stars between me and the destination.
Click to expand...

Economical has a maximum route "distance" of 1,000ly, the fastest mode has a maximum route plot distance of 20,000ly, there's no maximum number of jumps. If you know how to do it you can even trick the fastest mode to plot you across the entire galaxy. The economical route plotter will fail to plot a route through an area where the stars are sparse, that's all you are encountering here, not maximum number of jumps.

wnmmsyv.jpg
 

Walter2

Walter2
varonica said:
Economical has a maximum route "distance" of 1,000ly, the fastest mode has a maximum route plot distance of 20,000ly, there's no maximum number of jumps. If you know how to do it you can even trick the fastest mode to plot you across the entire galaxy. The economical route plotter will fail to plot a route through an area where the stars are sparse, that's all you are encountering here, not maximum number of jumps.
Click to expand...
Possible, but I'm not convinced that was my problem. Before a layover in Colonia I was cruising along a 500Ly route with just 17Ly jumps with no problems (not as thin as the space around Beagle Point). It was my first foray out of Colonia that caused the problems, where Economical jumps are down to just a few lightyears. I just had to do a couple of Fastest jumps before I could return to short jumps.
 

varonica

varonica
Walter2 said:
Possible, but I'm not convinced that was my problem. Before a layover in Colonia I was cruising along a 500Ly route with just 17Ly jumps with no problems (not as thin as the space around Beagle Point). It was my first foray out of Colonia that caused the problems, where Economical jumps are down to just a few lightyears. I just had to do a couple of Fastest jumps before I could return to short jumps.
Click to expand...

Never had a problem routing through dense areas, that used to be an issue a long time ago before they optimised the route plotter and it would take hours to calculate a route through a dense area, so they may have put a time limit on it so it will fail after a certain length of time, slow PC's will take longer to plot routes, but there's no maximum number of jumps for either mode as far as I am aware.
 
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