Why is the route planner dumb?

[TruffleSnout]

Rhetorical question, that.

Last night I was headed back to the bubble from Sag A*, and hit a spot at the southern edge of the core that has a high concentration of Type Ls and Type Ys. Not everything, mind you, probably not even a majority, just a large number.

When I would map my 990+ Ly route (which would take 15+ minutes to map - but that's another thread) it would invariably thread the needle and give me a spot of 10-12 jumps that were nothing but the unscoopables. Even though for the vast majority of those waypoints there was a perfectly good K or M easily within 0.5 Ly. Meaning I would end up manually jumping just to refuel, then having to redo another route - which would do the same thing again (and take another infuriating 15+ minutes).

It's like it was purposely trying to tick me off.

 

[Surly_Badger]

it would invariably thread the needle and give me a spot of 10-12 jumps that were nothing but the unscoopables.

Did you choose the star type option on the map, and deselect the unscoopables? I believe that if you do that the route planner attempts to stick to the O,B,A,F,G,K,M or whatever you selected.

 

[certhas]

That wont work, the map just doesnt show them but route planer still will pick them

 

[CMDR DoubleSkulls]

Did you choose the star type option on the map, and deselect the unscoopables? I believe that if you do that the route planner attempts to stick to the O,B,A,F,G,K,M or whatever you selected.

I think that merely affects display.

 

[Alex Brentnall]

Correct it only changes the display not the selection criteria.

The route planner is using the developer made algorithm to plot to the target in the least number of jumps, I for one think more options are needed than Fastest & Economy but thats another thread again

Best answer I can give right now is go +/- in height until most of the unscoopables disappear. I came back from the core last week at +1000 height and has no problems at all even running in fastest mode on an Anaconda (4 jumps before needing to fuel) - I think the Asp can do about 6 or 7

 

[TruffleSnout]

Did you choose the star type option on the map, and deselect the unscoopables? I believe that if you do that the route planner attempts to stick to the O,B,A,F,G,K,M or whatever you selected.

I don't believe it makes a difference to the route, only the display. I always have my map filtered to display just A's and B's (makes it easier performance-wise to navigate around the core).

- - - Updated - - -

Best answer I can give right now is go +/- in height until most of the unscoopables disappear. I came back from the core last week at +1000 height and has no problems at all even running in fastest mode on an Anaconda (4 jumps before needing to fuel) - I think the Asp can do about 6 or 7

That's what I ended up doing after I got fed up. Went about +800, then started heading back south.

 

[Winterwalker]

Advanced route planner by ship module upgrade, I'd suggest. Checking for scoopable stars should be part of a Commanders' skillset, certainly as he or she starts out. Yes it gets tedious but I think it takes something from the game not to get dumped into dry system by accident now and then. I'd prefer to see more investment (more) in your ship, to take on long distance exploration, where this sort of thing starts to be useful? Besides, you're trying to put the fuel rats out of work?

 

[TruffleSnout]

The route planner is using the developer made algorithm to plot to the target in the least number of jumps, I for one think more options are needed than Fastest & Economy but thats another thread again

I agree with the need for more routing options, but the thing that twisted my gizzard about this is that numerous times, the number of jumps and range of jumps wouldn't have changed at all by choosing the nearby K or M. It's like it saw two stars that fit the jump/distance requirement and then chose the worst option on purpose.

 

[TruffleSnout]

Advanced route planner by ship module upgrade, I'd suggest. Checking for scoopable stars should be part of a Commanders' skillset, certainly as he or she starts out. Yes it gets tedious but I think it takes something from the game not to get dumped into dry system by accident now and then. I'd prefer to see more investment (more) in your ship, to take on long distance exploration, where this sort of thing starts to be useful? Besides, you're trying to put the fuel rats out of work?

I agree we need some dev love for exploration, and I've never (touch wood) been stranded myself. But 12 Type L's in a row on a plotted route that goes through an area that has a mix of star types? That's just a dumb algorithm. Like they sort by star mass and pick the lowest one or something, i dunno.

 

[Winterwalker]

I agree we need some dev love for exploration, and I've never (touch wood) been stranded myself. But 12 Type L's in a row on a plotted route that goes through an area that has a mix of star types? That's just a dumb algorithm. Like they sort by star mass and pick the lowest one or something, i dunno.

Unknown Commander.

Suggest try not to let it bother you too much, and reconsider deep space exploration to be a tricky business, more dangerous than it first appears. Mind out for those "seams" of L's and plot your way around ... having given a heads' up to the devs and in fact thrown up another piece of possible game content? (repped)

 

[streki]

Routing is ripe for improvement.

FD have significantly improved routing on two previous occasions that I can remember. We couldn't always plot 1000 Ly routes! In fact there was a time when the next system in your plotted route wasn't auto selected by your computer when you arrived in a new system - what a faff that was. That was probably pre-release though...I can't remember.

Now I would like to be able to:

1. Manually plot a long route, jump by jump - not just set a destination and let the computer decide my course.

2. Alternatively, have my computer set the route, but limiting its options to scoopable (or otherwise preselected) star types.

3. Have the computer display my route travelled thus far as an overlay on the galaxy map.

If you could rustle that little lot up for 1.4 please FD. Cheers - you guys rock.

 

[Rikk]

You can't beat the route planner. But you can usually drop down a couple of hundred LY and get away from the unscoopables.

 

[Katejina]

[O] Economical
[O]Fastest

Neither of those say:
[O]Smartest

Until we're given an option to "[O]Avoid X-type Star" during plotting, we're stuck with re-routing once we hit those badlands.

 

[Lewis N Clark]

Routing is ripe for improvement.

FD have significantly improved routing on two previous occasions that I can remember. We couldn't always plot 1000 Ly routes! In fact there was a time when the next system in your plotted route wasn't auto selected by your computer when you arrived in a new system - what a faff that was. That was probably pre-release though...I can't remember.

Now I would like to be able to:

1. Manually plot a long route, jump by jump - not just set a destination and let the computer decide my course.

2. Alternatively, have my computer set the route, but limiting its options to scoopable (or otherwise preselected) star types.

3. Have the computer display my route travelled thus far as an overlay on the galaxy map.

If you could rustle that little lot up for 1.4 please FD. Cheers - you guys rock.

I like your suggestions. If I may add one: a slider to set a target jump distance in addition to fastest and economical

 

[Zeeman]

Manual routing. That is all that is needed. Anything else is a bonus.

Z...

 

[Madrigor]

Stay out of the -20 to -60 plane and you should be good.