Looking for a galaxy map filter tutorial

[DazzySt]

Hi All,

For whatever reason I find the galaxy map incredibly hard to use. I'm trying to plot a route which contains stations to dock up in in order to trade so I can unlock Lei Cheung. I simply don't understand what / how I need to modify or set the filters accordingly. Is there a guide someone can share with me please?

Cheers
Daz

 

[Shiro Akai]

Not enough data - what's the actual problem beside "it doesn't work"?

You can't find system with that station? System not showing on map?
Route is not plotted/failed?

Describe what you do, what you expect and what you get instead. And check the following - when enter map browse (on the left) the icon that looks like 5 stars and see if you have all star types checked and applied to filter (option below). System you are looking for may have star type excluded from search so it won't appear on map. Tick on all star types, apply to filter and you should see all stars.

General rule to find target system and plot route is:

• open map
• browse to tab marked with 3 connected balls
• enter destination system name, enter
• map will focus on said system
• click it for options to show, pick "plot route"
• depending on distance it is instant (short distance) or may take few seconds (long, few hundred/thousand LYs)
• you'll get a line connecting your current location and destination
• solid line means you can travel without refuelling, dotted line means route is plotted but you don't have enough fuel for the entire route, refuelling needed. Either at station or via fuel scoop* module installed
• now you can exit map, your route is stored in your ship, next system en route should be already targetted
• if not, left panel, navigation, scroll down and search system name with a 3-ball icon next to it - your next waypoint
• jump (FSD) until you get to your destination.

* - if you rely on station refuel check if there are any stations/outpost on your route before you run out of fuel (systems on solid line, before dotted). If you rely on fuel scoop make sure you're trying to refuel at proper star type. Not every star provides fuel. To easy spot proper ones, memorize those (pick whichever you find more fitting):

OBAFGKM - mnemotechnic: Oh, Be A Fine Girl, Kiss Me. Star types set as they appear in filter
KGB FOAM - acronym, all types covered, but set different to filter.

In dire situation running out of fuel - call Fuel Rats (fuelrats.com) and follow their instructions.

Apologies if above sounds rude or too direct but again, not enough data from you to actually provide strict answer to your problem and general approach. Hope that helps.

 

[DazzySt]

Thanks very much for the reply. I guess what I'm asking is how the various filters work and can you apply more than one filter to a route. For example, I can plot a route to include refuel type stars but I also want to ensure that the various waypoints along the route have a population and therefore somewhere to dock and trade.

 

[Deleted member 38366]

Unfortunately, combining multiple Filters is not possible...

 

[DazzySt]

That's a shame and the reason I was pulling my hair out last night!

 

[Deleted member 38366]

That's a shame and the reason I was pulling my hair out last night!

I guess with Trade in mind, there's only few Options you can choose from :

Allegiance Filter : Select, enable all except "None", set "Apply Filter to Route"
-> this Filter will route only through inhabited/populated Systems

Economy Filter : Select, enable only desired Economies, set "Apply Filter to Route"
-> this Filter can be used to route only through specified Economies; as a byproduct it'll also avoid any uninhabited Systems (no Economy)

System Security Filter : Select, enable only (Low)/Med/High Security, set "Apply Filter to Route"
-> this Filter as well will route only through inhabited Systems (uninhabited = Anarchy) and can be used to reduce risk i.e. by restricting travel through Medium/High Sec Systems (caveat : can require increased Jumprange due to distances)

For pure Trading, it's likely best to create Bookmarks on Stations inside Systems that are part of a suitable A-B-A or A-B-C-A cycle.
Once such a trade loop is determined and Bookmarks set, merely click on the Bookmark and plot route. That'll make moving amongst them very easy and fast/efficient.
A good choice of such cycle-trading in a Ship with good Jumprange only involves 1-hop trades, so the Route plotting becomes a non-issue.

Unsure if that's still good, but it worked nicely in the past : https://eddb.io/ (EDDB with its Single-hop, Multi-hop, Loop-Trade tool)

 

[DazzySt]

Thanks for the reply. The main issue I have now is trying to find over 40 different systems to trade in in order to open up the engineer Lei Cheung. I know some systems have more than one place to dock up but am not certain whether you must trade in 40 different systems or 40 different stations.

 

[[VR] scipio_77]

For trading I mostly use the EDDB trading tool. That gives you access to trade data from other commanders, instead of just your own. The internal interface is also cumbersome to use for planning trade routes.

But if you just want to wing it with internal systems, certain economy types produce goods that are sought after in other economy types and certain states give demand for certain goods. The simplest most basic one (imo) is to buy basic medicines in high tech systems and sell to systems in outbreak state.

 

[Shiro Akai]

To be honest ED in-game tools are not the best in terms of accuracy, user friendliness and overeall reliability. Hence we have many fine 3rd party tools that are officially recognized by FDEVs. It was stated multiple times that we need in ED functionality that those 3rd party tools provide and devs themselves said (no quote tho, speaking from memory) that they are not interested in developing tools that are currently functioning as 3rd party.

This way for general trading we have EDDB.io
Exploration is covered by EDSM.net, EDDiscovery and Spansh (for planning neutron highway jumps)
Dry fitting and theorycrafting is Coriolis.io
General maintenance is inara.cz (highly recommend, keeps track for multiple things like ships, credits, modules, engineers. Also has nice database for many in-game things)

Lei Cheung unlock says "trade in over 50 markets". Since every station has its own commodity market it would mean 50 different stations.
Anyway, playing with above tools, mostly EDDB will improve your game as finding anything particular with in-game tools may be frustrating. Tho I never bothered with population/economy filters. Sometimes just simple take mission at one port, deliver to another, take second mission, rinse and reapeat can move you far away. At my early days, when still in Adder and considering 20 LYs being far away, with above approach I ended like 150 LYs from my initial starting point. Flying back took some time and felt epic.

If you want to meet 50 markets - just pick delivery mission at opne port and see where you end up after a day or two.

 

[DazzySt]

Thanks again. What I want to do is plan as short a route as possible from Jameson to Lei Cheung and trade in 31 stations (I have already traded in 19 stations) 1 unit of Hydrogen (I already have all the hydrogen in my Krait for this) to unlock him. I'd prefer not to end up many jumps from him once I've completed all the 31 trades and as I'm clearly not great in planning routes have turned to you guys for advice.

 

[Codger]

You’re spending more time planning than it would take to just jump to any nearby populated system and sell to whatever stations are there, then move to the next.

 

[Deleted member 38366]

Hm, with building merely "locations you've traded in", it might be the simplest to just

• dock at nearest Extraction Economy and buy Silver/Gold/Palladium
• target next Industrial Economy and sell Metals, buy Mineral Extractors/Power Generators
• move to the next Extraction Economy, sell, rinse, repeat, cycle

That should quickly build up the Trade numbers for the Engineer and bring in some profits along the way.
(Extraction - HighTech - Extraction - Industrial - Extraction - HighTech type string of trades should work just as nicely)
Not much hassle needed then with GalMap Filters, except set the three Economy types and move from location to location...

 

[FrogsFriend]

You’re spending more time planning than it would take to just jump to any nearby populated system and sell to whatever stations are there, then move to the next.

Yeah, this one doesn't really need a plan. Just head in roughly the right direction and if you reach Lei Cheung before you've got your 50, circle around a bit.