Plotting a Course Over a Long Distance?

@Ian Phillips

I did 'do a bit of research' and found nothing! I did find stellar maps and how to guides, but bug-ger all from Frontier mentioning a fix! It's pretty difficult searching all over the web in a shortened work lunchbreak!
 
This is a major issue at the moment and needs addressing asap! With a fuel scoop i can practically go anywhere, being told i'm restricted in my flight plan by my ships computer (route unavaliable) is utterly ridiculous!

There has already been an announcement that 1.1 update will include a fix for this, extending planning to 1000 LY.

However, you are not currently limited by fuel. Not at all. The system will let you plot a jump sequence that you do not have enough fuel to finish right now. In that case, the jumps will be dotted amber lines instead of solid. If you fuel scoop along the way you will see the dotted lines move forward until the lines are solid to your destination.

If you see the red 'Route Unavailable' and the distance is less than 100 ly, just wait and the trip will be plotted eventually. It may take up to 5 minutes for destinations approaching that 100 ly; be patient. If it is more than 100 ly away, it will never plot it (until after 1.1 update at least). Chose a closer intermediate star and route to that.
 
I think an advanced route plotter should be an internal ship module (existing system comes as standard in the ship's computer so takes no space). Because, as an explorer, part of the fun is in not entirely knowing if you'll ever be able to reach your destination. Modifying your route jump by jump, having to backtrack and find an alternate path, etc. The more advanced the galaxy map route plotter gets, the bigger the distance it covers, the more it diminishes that fun for me.

So, I'd like it as a ship module. If you want to use it, great, but you're taking up a slot which could otherwise be used for something else. So, basically, an equivalent to having a docking computer.
 
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I think an advanced route plotter should be an internal ship module (existing system comes as standard in the ship's computer so takes no space). Because, as an explorer, part of the fun is in not entirely knowing if you'll ever be able to reach your destination. Modifying your route jump by jump, having to backtrack and find an alternate path, etc. The more advanced the galaxy map route plotter gets, the bigger the distance it covers, the more it diminishes that fun for me.

So, I'd like it as a ship module. If you want to use it, great, but you're taking up a slot which could otherwise be used for something else. So, basically, an equivalent to having a docking computer.
Disagree. From a lore perspective, navigation is THE most important system for space travel (once you get past the pressure/oxygen/heat hurdles, of course). From a gaming perspective, you can already do what you want by just routing one system at a time. Expanding navigation capabilities doesn't change that for you while enabling those of us who don't want to play like you do.
 
Its in the 1.1 update. Will calculate 1000LY. I hate to say this but the Mods were right, (goes and has a shower) it was in the Newsletter.
 
Disagree. From a lore perspective, navigation is THE most important system for space travel (once you get past the pressure/oxygen/heat hurdles, of course). From a gaming perspective, you can already do what you want by just routing one system at a time. Expanding navigation capabilities doesn't change that for you while enabling those of us who don't want to play like you do.

So from a lore perspective it makes sense that you can route plan 1,000s LYs through hundreds of systems marked as "unexplored"? Your ship computer in a pokey little vessel comes equipped with a database containing 400 billion star systems with which it can pretty much plot any point A to point B path? By all means plot a path through known and populated systems. The rest of the galaxy? A 500 LY computed radius seems reasonable to me, without an additional ship module specific to the task.

edit: Also I hate the "well you don't have to use it" argument. If it's there, it's almost impossible not to use these things. It's like fast travel in Oblivion. Almost all Morrowind players would prefer it if it wasn't there, that the game would be better without it. But it is there, and it's incredibly hard to force yourself to ignore it. If fast travel in Oblivion were only possible if you owned a horse then it'd be much much easier to ignore. Same with this, make it a specific ship module and I can choose to save the cash and ship slot and then never have the extra capability in-game. Would you prefer a docking computer was fitted as standard? I mean, from a lore perspective, everyone needs to dock frequently, right?
 
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Until the 1.1 update,you should also consider looking at the coordinates of where you are, and where the target is. When you choose an intermediate system, make sure it makes sense on those coordinates. Some targets are much harder to get to than others,especially if they are very high or low compared to the galactic plane. So check which of the X, Y, Z axes you are furthest away from the target, and make sure your intermediate point makes lots of progress on that axis.
 
So from a lore perspective it makes sense that you can route plan 1,000s LYs through hundreds of systems marked as "unexplored"? Your ship computer in a pokey little vessel comes equipped with a database containing 400 billion star systems with which it can pretty much plot any point A to point B path? By all means plot a path through known and populated systems. The rest of the galaxy? A 500 LY computed radius seems reasonable to me, without an additional ship module specific to the task.
Ummm, my 21st Century laptop can plot those distances now, even if it takes 5 minutes. Why wouldn't a 34th century computer be able to do it? Moore's Law, eh?

I think people misunderstand what "Unknown" means. It means that we don't know what orbits the stars, but we certainly know where the stars are! We know it, like, now in Real LifeTM.
 
Ummm, my 21st Century laptop can plot those distances now, even if it takes 5 minutes. Why wouldn't a 34th century computer be able to do it? Moore's Law, eh?

I think people misunderstand what "Unknown" means. It means that we don't know what orbits the stars, but we certainly know where the stars are! We know it, like, now in Real LifeTM.

My point still stands about docking. 34th century ships which don't autodock at stations with one little letterbox entry / exit point? You'd expect in real future life, this entire process would be automated. But that would be less fun. So in-game, you can buy a docking computer but by default, that process is entirely manual. I really don't see what's so unreasonable about an additional module specific to the task of long-range route plotting.
 
Actually when you go in place where there is a lot less stars it calculates 75Ly very quickly, and i have been able to plot a 120Ly route, so not sure what the limit is
 
If you did just a little research you would find that it is indeed being addressed. Soon.

I'm hoping it'll be addressed by fundamentally changing the way it works.

If I want to plot a route from A->B, why does the map need to show all the possible routes from A->C,D,E,F,...,X,Z,Y,etc.

This is the part that seems to take ages ... waiting for the spider nest of possible jumps to grow.

I'm only interested in how to get from A->B, so really you should only need to calculate that single path.

Of course, it's nice to see *locally* where I can jump from my current position, but only 2 or 3 jumps away ... so maybe just keep the spider nest for (say) a number of hops, rather than a distance ?
 
I'm hoping it'll be addressed by fundamentally changing the way it works.

If I want to plot a route from A->B, why does the map need to show all the possible routes from A->C,D,E,F,...,X,Z,Y,etc.

This is the part that seems to take ages ... waiting for the spider nest of possible jumps to grow.

I'm only interested in how to get from A->B, so really you should only need to calculate that single path.

Of course, it's nice to see *locally* where I can jump from my current position, but only 2 or 3 jumps away ... so maybe just keep the spider nest for (say) a number of hops, rather than a distance ?

Well it only shows a couple of hops in a denser area, however those are way too many to make sense of it all.
These are all the 3 step journeys for my ASP.
map.jpg
It only draws paths upto 50-60 ly away in an area like this, however you can still select stars upto 85-100ly away and get a route. So it's useless in multiple ways, doesn't show how far you can go, and although it has a certain beauty to it, it makes it very hard to see anything when zooming in.
The spidervweb has its uses in low density space where it's hard to see what stars are in range of each other. There it will also show paths up to 150ly away.
It would be more useful though if instead of the spider web, the galaxy map would simply color the selection points on the map green for those that can be reached. It could even be different shades for reachable, need to fuel before getting this far (which are the dotted lines atm), and in maximum range but not current range (could reach with less fuel weight)
Plus do a directed effort to find a route after you select a star.
 
My point still stands about docking. 34th century ships which don't autodock at stations with one little letterbox entry / exit point? You'd expect in real future life, this entire process would be automated. But that would be less fun. So in-game, you can buy a docking computer but by default, that process is entirely manual. I really don't see what's so unreasonable about an additional module specific to the task of long-range route plotting.

Fair enough.
 
Well I don't know if its the best way,however this is how I do it. (You will need the galaxy map grid turned on)
1. Open Galaxy map with your current location centered, make sure that your current system has no vertical line (either above or below) make a note of the X, Y & Z co-ordinates of you grid location (The closest display co-ord, don't need an exact number)
2. Find your destination. If this is a passenger mission its best to use "Open Galaxy Map" from your transaction screen. Again adjust the Y axis until there is no vertical line on your system Make a note of the X, Y & Z.
3, You then need to find the difference on grid squares from where you are to where you need to be example:
Current System Wolf 620 : -40;64,40
Destination PYRAMIO GO-K C24-8* : 1000;-375;6400

The DIFFERENCE between these two points is 1040;438;6360 (-40 to 1000 ; 64 to -375; 40 to 6400)
Divide all three differentials by the LOWEST difference so 1040/438 = 2.37 ; 438/438 = 1 ; 6360/438= 14.5 (2.37;1;14.5)

SO for every one grid square in the Y axis you need to go 2.37 in the X axis and 14.5 in the Z axis

The next bit is possible with paper and a calculator, but a whole lot simpler with a spreadsheet.

Now you need to pick a multiple for the lowest difference (10,20,30,40,50) lets try 50

X=(-40+(50 x 2.37)) = (-40+118) so :+78
Y= (+64 -(50 x 1) = (+64-50) so: +14
Z= (+40+(50 x 14.5) =(+40+725) so +765

4. Now move your galaxy grid to those co-ordinates +78;+14;+765 and find the closest system and attempt to plot a route. If the route is over 1000Ly it will be un-plottable and you will need a lower multiple, too low and you will end up with too many Nav points.
BOOKMARK THE NAV POINT

Once you have found a workable multiple you can use the same multiple to find the next nav points.
Bookmark each nav point as you find them.
X Y Z
79 14 765 NAV 1
197 -36 1490 NAV 2
316 -86 2215 NAV 3
434 -136 2940 NAV 4
553 -186 3665 NAV 5
671 -236 4390 NAV 6
790 -286 5115 NAV 7
908 -336 5840 NAV 8
1000 -375 6400 NAV FINAL (A multiple of 50 would have taken you beyond the destination)

Hmmm looking back in this, its a lot easier to do it, than explain it!


*PYRAMIO GO-K C24-8 has a tourist Nav point: CERBERUS.
The system contains an Earth-like world and is located about half way from the starting bubble to the center of the our galaxy (aka The Core)
 
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LOL now you know why you should have paid attention in maths class.

Surely there must be a tool for this by now?
 
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